INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, columns 958-59W, on Members: allowances, whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority intends to make an assessment of the effects of its schemes on the mental health and well-being of hon. Members.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 July 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether we intend to make an assessment of the effect of our Schemes on the mental health of MPs.
	We have not received evidence or representations that there is a need for such an assessment.

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 957W, on Members: allowances, whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority intends to make an assessment of the extent to which hon. Members are funding their parliamentary duties from personal resources.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 July 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether we intend to make an assessment of the extent to which MPs are funding parliamentary duties from personal resources.
	There is no requirement for any MP to use his or her personal resources to pay for costs allowable under the MPs' Expenses Scheme. We have introduced several mechanisms to ease any potential cashflow problems for MPs including:
	an interest-free loan of up to £4,000;
	the use of a payment card for a number of types of expenses; and
	payment on invoice and direct payments for rent and pooled research services.
	Where an MP necessarily incurs a cost related to their parliamentary functions which is not covered by the MPs' Expenses Scheme, they may also apply to the contingency fund.
	We estimate that 71% of costs by volume may now be paid direct.
	MPs may make representations about other costs not covered by the Expenses Scheme and we will consider such representations as part of the next Annual Review of the Scheme.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Leader of the House how many senior civil servants in his Office at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Office had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Office in each such year.

George Young: None.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Leader of the House how many letters he received from hon. Members in June 2011.

George Young: I received 17 letters from hon. Members during June 2011.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Leader of the House how much his Office has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010.

George Young: My Office has incurred no public expenditure on hospitality events for staff since May 2010.

Departmental Publicity

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Leader of the House how much his Office has spent on Ministerial photoshoots and videos since May 2010.

George Young: My Office has incurred no cost on ministerial photoshoots or videos since May 2010.

Departmental Redundancy

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Leader of the House how much his Office has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 667W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood).

Departmental Training

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Leader of the House how much his Office has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what the training was for.

George Young: The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons, the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr Heath), attended an Induction Training session for new Ministers provided by the National School of Government. Since May 2010, training for Ministers has been centrally-funded by the Core Learning Programme.

Members: Pensions

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Leader of the House if he will publish a list of the meetings he has held with representatives of each political party represented in the House of Commons on proposed changes to the pensions of hon. Members in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011.

George Young: I have regular meetings with hon. and right hon. Members on this and other issues.

Third Sector

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Leader of the House what (a) charities and (b) voluntary organisations he has visited in an official capacity since 12 May 2010.

George Young: In my role as Leader of the House I attended and spoke at an event in support of the work of the Speakers' Corner Trust in October 2010. As a part of my ongoing commitment to tackling homelessness I also spoke at an event organised by the Rough Sleepers Initiative in March 2011.
	I also attend regular events in support of charities and voluntary organisations in my role as a constituency Member of Parliament.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet: Chequers

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister how many political cabinet meetings have taken place at Chequers since May 2010.

David Cameron: Two Cabinets have met at Chequers covering both Government and political business.

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the details of my overseas travel which is published at least quarterly on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister how many letters his Office received from hon. Members in June 2011.

David Cameron: My office received over 350 letters from hon. Members in June 2011, including those forwarding constituents’ questions.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) the Prime Minister directly and (b) officials on behalf of the Prime Minister in November 2010.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 July 2011, Official Report, column 1087W.

Departmental Responsibilities

Luciana Berger: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has had with (a) social workers, (b) teachers, (c) nurses, (d) doctors, (e) police officers and (f) business leaders since May 2010.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has had with (a) social workers, (b) teachers, (c) nurses, (d) doctors, (e) police officers and (f) business leaders since May 2010.

David Cameron: I regularly meet social workers, teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers and business leaders, including on visits around the country, and at receptions and meetings hosted at Number 10. For further information I refer the hon. Members to the Number 10 website, which often gives further information about my visits, to the lists of meetings with external organisations which is published at least quarterly, and the list of receptions hosted at Number 10. These are available on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations

Human Rights: China

Jim Shannon: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Delegation to the UK on the issue of (a) religious discrimination and (b) human rights.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer 1 gave during the press conference with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on 27 June 2011. A transcript of the press conference is available on the Number 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2011/06/press-conference-with-premier-wen-jiabao-65285

Malaysia: Elections

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with the Prime Minister of Malaysia on electoral reform and the right to demonstrate in that country.

David Cameron: During the Prime Minister of Malaysia's visit to the United Kingdom we agreed on the importance of building more open and inclusive societies and supporting democracy over repression.

National Security Council

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many meetings he has had with the National Security Adviser since the creation of the National Security Council;
	(2)  what role and responsibilities he has in relation to the National Security Council; and what recent contribution he has made to its work.

David Cameron: I chair the National Security Council which meets regularly, in some cases several times a week. The National Security Adviser is Secretary to the National Security Council and I therefore meet him on a regular basis, in addition to other meetings.

Taxation: European Union

Priti Patel: To ask the Prime Minister whether any proposal to introduce Europe-wide taxation measures for the purposes of raising resources for the EU would be subject to a referendum.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	Section 7 of the European Union Act 2011 provides that a decision to use Article 311 TFEU to adopt a system of Own Resources would require approval through an Act of Parliament.

Third Sector

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation he has visited since 12 May 2010.

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Prime Minister what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation he has visited since 12 May 2010.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Members to my list of UK visits and the list of official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing street which have been published on the Cabinet Office website
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	These include visits to Combat Stress and events held at 10 Downing street for charities including the British Red Cross and Great Ormond Street.
	In addition my Office is undertaking volunteering activity with two social action partners during 2011: Blue Sky Development and Regeneration and Street League. For further details I refer the hon. Members to the press notice on the No. 10 website
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/12/number-10-staff-select-two-charities-to-support-in-2011-58400

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Lost Property

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his office in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was.

Nicholas Clegg: My office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer today given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will consider keeping data on the number of times he has declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party.

Nicholas Clegg: Pressures on my diary regrettably mean that I am not able to accept all requests for meetings. My office is not required to hold details of the number of meetings declined and there are no plans to do so.

National Security Council

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with the National Security Adviser since the creation of the National Security Council.

Nicholas Clegg: I am the Deputy Chair of the National Security Council which meets regularly, in some cases several times a week. The National Security Adviser is Secretary to the National Security Council and I therefore meet him on a regular basis, as well as in the course of my wider responsibilities.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Surplus Homes

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to put into productive use empty and surplus property.

Bob Neill: We have recently consulted on proposals to make it easier to change use from commercial to residential and will make an announcement on the way forward soon.
	We have already put in place powerful tools and incentives to support local communities to tackle empty homes and underused land and property.

Surplus Homes

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has considered taking steps to ensure better use of surplus holiday homes.

Andrew Stunell: I know my hon. Friend sees surplus holiday homes as a potential source of affordable housing.
	Government reforms give high priority to housing supply, and the draft National Planning Policy Framework urges authorities to recognise the benefits of housing growth.
	We will not, though, insist that permission should always be granted for using or redeveloping of holiday homes as permanent dwellings.

Green Belt

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to protect the green belt.

Greg Clark: The draft National Planning Policy Framework is unequivocal in continuing the protection of the green belt.
	By abolishing the previous Government's Regional Spatial Strategies, through the Localism Bill, we are removing the top-down pressure on local authorities to remove the green belt in 30 areas across England.

Affordable Housing

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of the increase in the rate of VAT on housing associations wishing to build affordable homes.

Andrew Stunell: We have made no detailed assessment of the effect of the VAT increase on housing associations. These are organisations independent of Government who react individually to changes in market conditions.
	However, I can confirm that, housing associations’ responses to the new Affordable Homes Programme, have allowed us to exceed our predictions—we now expect to provide up to 170,000 new affordable homes between 2011 and 2015, compared with our original estimate of 150,000.

Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1143W, whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation to be used by his Department as a means of reducing its carbon dioxide emissions are to be manufactured in the UK.

Bob Neill: The Department does not hold information on whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation to be used by the Department will be manufactured in the UK. Future energy generation contracts will be let by Cabinet Office on behalf of central Government as part of their Common Commodities Programme.

Departmental Apprentices

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has a policy on requirements for the provision of (a) apprenticeships and (b) other training by (i) his Department's prime contractors and (ii) suppliers in the supply chain of such contractors.

Bob Neill: The Department expects its suppliers and supply chain partners to deploy capable staff on contracts servicing our needs. Our procurement processes include relevant checks on supplier capability. It is for suppliers themselves to decide their training and apprenticeship requirements.

Departmental Apprentices

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many apprenticeships have been created directly by contracts with his Department in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: The Department does not hold this information.

Departmental Billing

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what late payments to contractors his Department has made between June 2007 and May 2010; and what the total cost to the public purse was of any (a) penalty charges or (b) interest charges incurred in that period.

Bob Neill: The following table gives details of the total number of payments made by the Department and the number of payments paid late after 30 days. We do not have any record of paying penalty charges or interest charges for any of these late payments.
	
		
			  Total payments Late payments Percentage late 
			 June 2007 3,768 203 5.39 
			 July 2007 3,746 245 6.54 
			 August 2007 3,525 322 9.13 
			 September 2007 3,300 252 7.64 
			 October 2007 3,365 278 8.26 
			 November 2007 3,797 473 12.46 
			 December 2007 2,275 234 10.29 
			 January 2008 2,785 658 23.63 
			 February 2008 2,837 593 20.9 
		
	
	
		
			 March 2008 3,599 585 16.25 
			 April 2008 3,587 329 9.17 
			 May 2008 3,147 556 17.67 
			 June 2008 3,119 396 12.7 
			 July 2008 3,250 287 8.83 
			 August 2008 2,939 29 0.99 
			 September 2008 2,941 376 12.78 
			 October 2008 3,767 464 12.32 
			 November 2008 3,323 258 7.76 
			 December 2008 2,939 110 3.74 
			 January 2009 3,037 110 3.62 
			 February 2009 2,770 129 4.66 
			 March 2009 4,233 197 4.65 
			 April 2009 3,555 246 6.92 
			 May 2009 2,645 91 3.44 
			 June 2009 3,056 72 2.36 
			 July 2009 3,328 63 1.89 
			 August 2009 2,941 101 3.43 
			 September 2009 2,572 80 3.11 
			 October 2009 2,946 50 1.7 
			 November 2009 2,709 85 3.14 
			 December 2009 2,364 101 4.27 
			 January 2010 2,619 189 7.22 
			 February 2010 2,741 206 7.52 
			 March 2010 3,732 161 4.31 
			 April 2010 2,674 146 5.46 
			 May 2010 2,196 88 4.01

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government received 984 letters from hon. Members in June 2011.

Departmental Official Cars

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of (a) cars leased by his Department to staff and (b) ministerial chauffeurs between June 2007 and May 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department does not lease any cars to staff.
	I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Bristol West (Stephen Williams) of 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 608-69W.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on entertaining in each financial year since 2007-08.

Bob Neill: We have interpreted entertainment to mean attendance at spectator type events such as concerts or sports. Departmental records show no such expenditure since 2007-08.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 July 2011
	Staff hospitality is defined as the provision of food and drink for meetings. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 1 February 2011, Official Report, column 745W, which outlined spending from May to December 2010. From January to June 2011, provisional records estimate that £21,262 was spent.
	This compares with a comparable spend of £456,142 in 2009-10 under the last Administration. There has thus been a considerable reduction in spending as a consequence of cost-saving initiatives introduced under the new Government.

Departmental Pay

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated saving to the public purse was from lower staff wage costs arising from industrial action by staff of his Department on 30 June 2011.

Bob Neill: The total amount which will not be paid as salary to members of the Department for Communities and Local Government staff who participated in industrial action on 30 June 2011 is £22,136, excluding employers national insurance and pension contributions.

Departmental Photographs

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on photo shoots and videos involving Ministers since May 2010.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 July 2011
	No ministerial photography has been purchased using taxpayers' money since May 2010. This compares with £2,648 of taxpayers' money spent on ministerial photography from April 2006 to April 2010.
	Any videos featuring Ministers since May 2010 have been produced in-house. Therefore any expenditure incurred would have been part of overall running and salary costs, and no external costs have been incurred. By contrast, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 455W, for an example of excessive spending on ministerial videos under the last Administration.

Departmental Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held.

Bob Neill: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the Department's spending over £500, and the details of new Government contracts, can be found online as part of the Government's transparency initiative.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many procurement contracts his Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department keeps a register of all contracts with a value of over £20,000 and records show that since May 2010 21 contracts (31% of all such contracts) were awarded to small businesses.

Departmental Stationery

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of stationery purchased by his Department between June 2007 and May 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department has spent the following on stationery with its preferred supplier over this period. The Department does not hold a breakdown of figures for 2007-08 so the following figure represents full year spend.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2007-08 438,473 
			 2008-09 501,255 
			 2009-10 442,660 
			 2010 (April and May) 56,585

Departmental Training

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) away day and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in his Department between June 2007 and May 2010.

Bob Neill: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Enterprise Zones

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce the next round of local enterprise zones.

Greg Clark: The closing date for the receipt of bids was 30 June 2011 and the successful bids were announced on 17 August 2011 and can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/1967595
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Conditions of Employment

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects on physical requirements of firefighters of setting the retirement age at 60; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: In 2002, under the last Administration, the Independent Review of the Fire Service found that the job of a firefighter does not carry any greater risk than many other occupations. In 2007, the New Firefighters' Pension Scheme was introduced with a normal pension age of 60. In March 2011, Lord Hutton's review into public sector pensions recommended that, in recognising the unique nature of their work, Government should consider setting a new normal pension age of 60 across the uniformed services.
	The Government have accepted Lord Hutton's recommendations as a basis for consultation with public sector workers, trades unions and others. Following the written ministerial statement on 19 July 2011, Official  Report, columns 92-94WS, given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), scheme level discussions have begun to deliver initial proposals for reformed schemes by the end of October 2011. Lord Hutton's recommendations will also inform these scheme level discussions, which will include consideration of the normal pension age for firefighters.

Fire Services: Expenditure

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of each control centre constructed under the FiReControl project in the last six months; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each centre in the next 12 months.

Bob Neill: For the current running costs of all the control centres, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 362-63W. In that response I highlight the National Audit Office report of 1 July 2011, HC 1272, on “The Failure of the FiReControl project”.
	The National Audit Office report states on the empty buildings: "The Department's failure to manage the project as a whole has resulted in the creation of empty regional control centres. The nine regional control centres were purpose-built to house the new computerised equipment and were designed specifically for that purpose. The Department's decision to prioritise the procurement of the centres over the IT system at an early stage meant that the first centres were completed in June 2007, just three months after the IT contract had been awarded" (p.8).
	The total running costs incurred at each control centre building for the last six months (December 2010 to May 2011) and the most recent estimate of running costs (including rent, facilities management, utilities, rates, etc.) for the following 12 months (June 2011 to May 2012) are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Control centre building Cost incurred in last six months  (1) Estimated running cost in the next  12 months  (1) 
			 London 1,573,475 2,841,488 
			 South East 997,259 1,970,399 
			 South West 902,321 1,749,403 
			 East of England 974,602 1,869,992 
			 East Midlands 915,828 1,734,402 
			 West Midlands 969,981 1,902,885 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 890,915 1,748,701 
			 North East 879,971 1,711,769 
			 North West 894,026 1,694,900 
			 (1)A11 costs exclude VAT. 
		
	
	The hon. Member will note that the estimated running cost for the London control centre over the next 12 months is reduced compared to the current monthly cost given in the answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington. This is because the London Fire Brigade expects to move into the building at the end of this year and will take over the running costs except for the rent during this period. The Department has also taken steps to reduce facilities management costs by 25 per cent through renegotiating the contract and utilities costs by 35 per cent through reduced usage in all the buildings.
	Our aim is to achieve the best possible value for money for the taxpayer from these buildings. Our preference is for fire and rescue services to use the centres, as they are highly resilient and built for this purpose. We have already reached agreement with the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to take over the control centre in Merton. The London Fire Brigade intends to move in later this year and will take over the running costs at that point. Those fire and rescue services hoping to move into the buildings are not expected to begin contributing to the rent during the period in question. Where we cannot reach agreement for fire and rescue services to move in, we are actively seeking suitable tenants for them. This will further reduce costs.
	This Government took decisive action and closed down the costly FiReControl project when it became clear that it could not be delivered to an acceptable timeframe. I refer the hon. Member to the National Audit Office report of 1 July 2011, HC 1272, on “The Failure of the FiReControl project” and the written ministerial statement on the future of fire and rescue control services made to the House on 5 July 2011, Official Report, columns 82-83WS.

Fire Services: Manpower

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of front-line jobs in fire services which are expected to be lost in addition to those already announced.

Bob Neill: The Department has not made such an estimate. It is for individual fire and rescue authorities to determine appropriate levels of emergency cover, taking account of analysis of risk locally, as part of integrated risk management planning.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my letter to him of 6 December 2010, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, which outlines how fire and rescue authorities can make sensible savings without impacting on the quality or breadth of services offered to their communities.

Fire Services: Pensions

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the (a) assets and (b) long-term liabilities are of the (i) Firefighters' Pension Scheme and (ii) New Firefighters' Pension Scheme;
	(2)  what his policy is on firefighters paying a greater contribution to their pension scheme.

Bob Neill: As unfunded schemes, neither the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 1992, nor the New Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2006, have any assets. The 2007 actuarial valuation of the two fire pension schemes found that the total liability for all accrued benefits was £13.8 billion as at 31 March 2007. Of this, current members of the Firefighters Pension Scheme 1992 accounted for £6.4 billion and pensions in payment for former members accounted for £6.9 billion. The remainder applied to members with deferred benefits, pensions in payment for dependents. The actuarial liability of the New Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2006 was valued at £0.0 billion in 2007.
	The Department will shortly be issuing statutory consultation proposals setting out the Department's approach to increased employee contribution increases with effect from April 2012.

Gifts and Endowments

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 449W, on gifts and endowments, (a) what the name is of each Minister who received each gift, (b) who donated each gift and (c) what wines and spirits were received.

Bob Neill: Based on the records available, information on gifts valued below £140 recorded by the Department as having been received in 2009-10 is as follows. Where recorded, this also includes details of donors.
	John Denham
	Mug from Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team
	Red wine from ambassador of Qatar (retained by the Department for use at official functions)
	Sadiq Khan
	Decorative plaques received on ministerial visit to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
	Shahid Malik
	Calendar
	Fine Bone China Plate
	Framed Photograph
	Lacquerware box
	Photo Frame
	Stationery
	Wooden Plate
	Rosie Winterton
	Book from Azerbaijan Delegation
	Cognac from Azerbaijan Delegation
	Food hamper from Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber
	Replica Miner’s Lamp given on a visit to the National Coal Mining Museum for England(*)
	Trinket box.*
	The list includes two additional items (marked with an asterisk) to the list given in my answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 449W, which were subsequently identified in a further search of departmental records.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the Housing Ombudsman using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Bob Neill: No such transactions have taken place as the Independent Housing Ombudsman Ltd does not use the Government Procurement Card.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the Thurrock Gateway Development Corporation using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Bob Neill: A table providing a breakdown of expenditure by the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation using Government Procurement Cards for 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 has been placed in the Library of the House. This includes (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier. We do not hold details of (d) level 3 or enhanced transactions. Each transaction does have an expenditure type which is a broad description of the type of goods purchased.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Andrew Stunell: No such transactions have taken place as West Northamptonshire Development Corporation does not use the Government Procurement Card.

Homelessness: Expenditure

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1000W, on homelessness: social rented housing, how much and what proportion of the figure given in the answer for local authority prevention or relief activities in 2009-10 related to activities under section 192(3) of the Housing Act 1996.

Grant Shapps: The figures provided in the previous answer related to all prevention and relief activities. It is not possible to break down the number of those activities that were carried out under section 192(3) of the Housing Act 1996 from the data the Department holds.

Homelessness: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the likely number of homeless people in Liverpool, Walton constituency in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.

Grant Shapps: This Department has not made forecasts for future levels of homelessness.
	Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly PIE returns. Summary information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Figures are provided at local authority level in the table at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1918724.xls
	Figures are not collected at constituency level.
	Figures are also collected on rough sleeping. The Government have introduced a new more accurate way of evaluating rough sleeping levels in England. Previously only local authorities where there was a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem were required to provide a count. All areas across England now provide counts or robust estimates giving a clear national picture. Latest statistics show 1,768 rough sleepers in England on any one night in autumn 2010.
	Rough sleeping figures are published by the Department on the DCLG website and are given by local authority in the table 2 at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1845849.xls
	Figures are not collected at constituency level.
	This Government are committed to tackling rough sleeping and preventing homelessness. We have maintained the level of Homelessness Grant, with £400 million for local authorities and the voluntary sector over the next four years. A cross-departmental ministerial working group has been set up to address the complex causes of homelessness and improve support for homeless people.

Homelessness: Young People

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many young people aged between 16 and 18 became homeless in each of the last five years; and what proportion of these young people were care leavers.

Grant Shapps: Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly PIE returns. Summary information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Information is collected on the age of households accepted as being homeless but the age bands are '16-24', '25-44', ‘45-59’, '60-64', '65-74' and '75 and over'. Figures are published in table 11 of the release, found at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1918669.xls
	Information is not collected on whether members of households accepted as homeless were formally in care.
	Breakdowns are not available for other types of homelessness, eg rough sleeping.
	This Government are committed to tackling rough sleeping and preventing homelessness. We have maintained the level of Homelessness Grant, with £400 million for local authorities and the voluntary sector over the next four years. A cross-departmental Ministerial Working Group has been set up to address the complex causes of homelessness and improve support for homeless people.

Land Use

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with (a) representatives of the house building industry and (b) the Office of Fair Trading on the practice of land banking by private housing developers.

Andrew Stunell: The Office of Fair Trading market study, Homebuilding in the UK (2008) did not find “any evidence that housebuilders have the ability to anti-competitively hoard land or own a large amount of land with planning permission on which they have not started to build.”
	The Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), announced on 8 June that the Government are planning to release enough public land to build as many as 100,000 new homes by 2015. By this autumn Government Departments with significant land holdings will publish plans to release land to housebuilders.
	Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on my Department's website. Ministers discuss a wide range of issues.

Local Government Finance

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to the funding of (a) fire and police services and (b) other risk-based services within his proposed changes to local government funding.

Bob Neill: The Government published ‘Local Government Resource Review: Proposals for Business Rate Retention’ on 18 July 2011 for consultation. This contains proposals for the future funding of non-billing authorities, including fire and police authorities. A technical paper which set out further details for non-billing authorities was published in August.

Local Government: Manpower

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff were employed by local authorities in England in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Bob Neill: The Department does not hold records of the number of people employed by local authorities. The Office for National Statistics publishes local government employment statistics and these show that staff headcount employed by local authorities in England were:
	(a) 2008-09 (Quarter 2, 2008) was 2,436,000
	(b) 2009-10 (Quarter 2, 2009) was 2,431,000
	Figures for 2010-11 have not yet been published.

Non-domestic Rates

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have granted hardship relief to local businesses in the last four years; and for how long a period in each case.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The following list gives details of those local authorities in England that reported they granted hardship relief in the period 2006-07 to 2009-10:
	Ashford
	Aylesbury Vale
	Babergh
	Barking and Dagenham
	Barnsley
	Basingstoke and Deane
	Bassetlaw
	Bedford(1)
	Bedford UA(2)
	Berwick-upon-Tweed(1)
	Birmingham
	Blyth Valley(1)
	Bolsover
	Bolton
	Boston
	Bradford
	Breckland
	Brent
	Bridgnorth(1)
	Brighton and Hove
	Bristol
	Broadland
	Broxbourne
	Bury
	Camden
	Cannock Chase
	Canterbury
	Caradon(1)
	Carlisle
	Castle Morpeth(1)
	Central Bedfordshire UA(2)
	Charnwood
	Cheltenham
	Cheshire East UA(2)
	Chester(1)
	Christchurch
	City of London
	Copeland
	Cornwall UA(2)
	Crewe and Nantwich(1)
	Dacorum
	Daventry
	Derby UA
	Derwentside(1)
	Dover
	Durham City(1)
	Durham UA(2)
	Easington(1)
	East Cambridgeshire
	East Devon
	East Hampshire
	East Lindsey
	East Riding of Yorkshire UA
	East Staffordshire
	Eastbourne
	Eastleigh
	Ellesmere Port and Neston(1)
	Exeter
	Fenland
	Forest Heath
	Forest of Dean
	Fylde
	Gedling
	Gloucester
	Greenwich
	Guildford
	Hackney
	Hambleton
	Harborough
	Harrogate
	Hastings
	High Peak
	Hillingdon
	Hinckley and Bosworth
	Horsham
	Hounslow
	Huntingdonshire
	Ipswich
	Kennet(1)
	Kensington and Chelsea
	Kerrier(1)
	Kings Lynn and West Norfolk
	Kirklees
	Knowsley
	Leeds
	Leicester UA
	Lewes
	Lewisham
	Liverpool
	Luton UA
	Macclesfield(1)
	Manchester
	Mansfield
	Medway UA
	Mendip
	Mid Bedfordshire(1)
	Mid Suffolk
	Mid Sussex
	Middlesbrough UA
	Milton Keynes UA
	Newark and Sherwood
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	North Cornwall(1)
	North Dorset
	North East Derbyshire
	North East Lincolnshire UA
	North Lincolnshire UA
	North Tyneside
	North Warwickshire
	Northumberland UA(2)
	Norwich
	Oldham
	Plymouth UA
	Preston
	Purbeck
	Redcar and Cleveland UA
	Restormel(1)
	Richmondshire
	Rother
	Rotherham
	Rushcliffe
	Rushmoor
	Ryedale
	Salford
	Salisbury(1)
	Sandwell
	Scarborough
	Sedgemoor
	Selby
	Sevenoaks
	Sheffield
	Shepway
	Shrewsbury and Atcham(1)
	Shropshire UA(2)
	Slough UA
	South Bedfordshire(1)
	South Cambridgeshire
	South Derbyshire
	South Gloucestershire UA
	South Holland
	South Lakeland
	South Norfolk
	South Northamptonshire
	South Oxfordshire
	South Ribble
	South Somerset
	South Staffordshire
	Southwark
	St Albans
	St Edmundsbury
	Stafford
	Stevenage
	Stoke-on-Trent UA
	Stratford-on-Avon
	Stroud
	Suffolk Coastal
	Sutton
	Tameside
	Tamworth
	Tandridge
	Teignbridge
	Tendring
	Test Valley
	Tewkesbury
	Thanet
	Torridge
	Tower Hamlets
	Tynedale(1)
	Vale Royal(1)
	Wandsworth
	Warrington UA
	Waveney
	Wealden
	West Berkshire UA
	West Devon
	West Dorset
	West Lindsey
	West Somerset
	West Wiltshire(1)
	Westminster
	Weymouth and Portland
	Wigan
	Wiltshire UA(2)
	Winchester
	Windsor and Maidenhead UA
	Wirral
	Woking
	Wokingham UA
	Wolverhampton
	Worcester
	Wychavon
	Wycombe
	Wyre Forest.
	(1 )These authorities were in existence in 2006-07 to 2008-09 only and ceased to exist from 1 April 2009 due to local government reorganisation.
	(2) These are unitary authorities that came into existence on 1 April 2009.
	The figures used to produce this list are taken from the annual audited national non-domestic rates (NNDR3) returns submitted by all billing authorities in England and are net i.e. they are the amount of hardship relief granted both in respect of the current year and/or previous years less any repayment of hardship relief incorrectly made in respect of previous years.
	Under our plans for local retention of business rates, rate relief will continue to be supported, meaning no adverse change to such groups as charities, amateur sports clubs, voluntary groups, those in hardship, and eligible rural or small firms.

Non-domestic Rates

Gavin Barwell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was due to be collected in uniform business rates in each billing authority area in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2010-11.

Bob Neill: Details of the amount of national non-domestic rates that was due to be collected in each billing authority area in England in 2006-07 and 2010-11 are published in statistical releases on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/collectionrates/
	Data for 2006-07 can be found in column 0 of table 4 of the statistics release “Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England 2006-07” and data for 2010-11 can be found in column 0 of table 7 of the statistics release “Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England 2010-11”.
	The data are taken from the Quarterly Return of Council tax and Non-domestic rates (QRC4) forms that are returned annually by all billing authorities in England.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the impact on speculative property development of the decision to reduce the empty property rates threshold for commercial properties.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 178W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer).

Overcrowding

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has any plans to revise the definition of overcrowding for the purposes of the Housing Act 1985.

Andrew Stunell: The reforms to social housing allocations, homelessness and tenure which are being taken forward in the Localism Bill will make it much easier for social landlords to manage their stock to reduce overcrowding.
	We have no plans currently to change the statutory overcrowding standard.
	We will consult on new statutory allocations guidance later this year.

Planning

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what standards will be applied to (a) transport statements, (b) transport assessments and (c) travel plans under draft version 4 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Bob Neill: The National Planning Policy Framework consultation, which includes a draft impact assessment, was launched on 25 July. Copies of all documents are in the Library of the House.

Planning Permission: Urban Areas

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to support high streets through the planning system.

Greg Clark: Although it is a devolved matter for the hon. Member’s constituents, the Government are committed to supporting high streets through the ‘Town Centre First’ policy which identifies town centres as the preferred location for retail developments.

Private Rented Housing

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to develop (a) a national strategy and (b) regional strategies for access to affordable family housing in the private rental sector; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: The Government have been working to encourage a thriving private rented sector which offers affordability and choice to those seeking a home. We have made it clear that local authorities should use their existing powers to stamp out the small minority of poor practice in the sector by rogue landlords. However, regulation must be proportionate—excessive regulation on the whole of the private rented sector would harm tenants' interests by reducing the choice of accommodation and force up rents.
	We are taking active steps to encourage growth and investment in the private rented sector: through the changes to stamp duty land tax on bulk purchases which the Government announced in the 2011 Budget, and through the commitment to look again at the rules on real estate investment trusts in time for next year's Budget.
	The Government are decentralising power from central Government and unelected regional government to elected local government. The New Homes Bonus will reward councils for the construction of additional housing, and the abolition of Whitehall density targets will allow councils to plan for more family homes.

Private Rented Housing: Standards

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the quality of accommodation in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The most recent report on English Housing Survey, which is commissioned by my Department, shows continuing improvement in the condition of the private rented sector. At a time when the sector is growing, the proportion of non-decent properties has reduced from 47% in 2006 to 41% in 2009.

Regional Planning and Development

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account housing allocations in local development frameworks will take of windfall developments.

Bob Neill: Current national policy on housing, set out in Planning Policy Statement 3, is clear that allowances for windfall sites should not be included in the first 10 years of housing supply unless the council can provide robust evidence of genuine local circumstances that prevent planned sites from being identified.
	Through the abolition of Regional Strategies via the Localism Bill, local authorities will have greater local discretion on the setting of their housing allocations.

Social Rented Housing

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to issue guidelines to local authorities on the development of local tenancy strategies.

Andrew Stunell: The Department has no plans to issue formal guidance on tenancy strategies.
	The Chartered Institute of Housing has published guidance on preparing tenancy strategies, which can be found at:
	http://www.cih.org/practice/free-downloads/documents/TenancyStrategies-June2011.pdf

Social Rented Housing: Ex-servicemen

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to give greater priority to military veterans on waiting lists for social housing.

Grant Shapps: The Government are committed to ensuring that existing and former members of the armed forces are not disadvantaged in their access to social housing. Current social housing allocations guidance already advises local authorities to give 'additional preference' (high priority) to service personnel who have been seriously injured or disabled in action. An option we are considering is to change the law so that councils in England would be required to give 'additional preference' for social housing to all former service personnel who have an urgent housing need. Any change to the law would follow a full public consultation.
	In addition, all low cost home ownership schemes, including FirstBuy, will now routinely place current and former members of the armed forces at the top of their priority lists.

Social Rented Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individuals who were not British citizens were allocated social housing under the choice-based lettings system by Peterborough city council in each year since 2001; what proportion this represented of all such allocations in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Information about social lettings is collected through the Continuous Recording of Lettings and Sales (CORE). The question on nationality was first introduced in 2006-07.
	The following table provides the number and proportion of all choice-based lettings made to non-UK nationals to properties situated within Peterborough city council's boundary since 2006-07.
	It is not possible to confirm whether all of these were allocated via Peterborough city council's choice-based lettings system.
	
		
			 Choice-based lettings to non-UK nationals in Peterborough, 2006-07 to 2009-10 
			  Number of choice-based lettings to non-UK nationals in Peterborough Proportion of all choice-based lettings to non-UK nationals in Peterborough (percentage) 
			 2006-07 177 15 
			 2007-08 190 14 
			 2008-09 234 16 
			 2009-10 255 16 
			 Source: CORE lettings data (general needs and supported housing)

Travellers: Planning Permission

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many temporary permissions for Gypsy and Traveller sites have been granted by the Planning Inspectorate since 1997; and how many such sites have been removed following the expiry of temporary permissions.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 July 2011
	Data held by the Planning Inspectorate does not specifically categorise appeals into those involving temporary permissions. However they have been able to identify planning appeals shown in the following table from key word searches of the development description. Such word searches may not have found all appeals that the Planning Inspectorate has handled. The data does not go back beyond April 2000. The data in the table are therefore for nine months in 2000 and full years for the remainder.
	
		
			  Number of appeals for temporary permissions allowed 
			 2000 2 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 1 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 2 
			 2007 1 
			 2008 2 
			 2009 5 
			 2010 6 
		
	
	Local planning authorities are responsible for monitoring temporary permissions and the Planning Inspectorate does not hold data on removal of sites once temporary permission expires.
	The Government are currently revising planning policy on Traveller sites, to give local councils more discretion, to increase protection for the green belt and open countryside, and to ensure fair play for all.

SCOTLAND

Employment

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) Scottish Ministers on (i) the rise in the number of female jobseeker's allowance claimants in July 2011 and (ii) other trends in July 2011's labour market statistics relating to Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the number of people in Scotland claiming jobseekers allowance and trends in labour market statistics. When I met the Cabinet Secretary for Employment, Finance and Sustainable Growth in July we discussed youth unemployment in Scotland.

Phone Hacking Inquiry

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on Scottish Government co-operation with the judicial inquiry into phone hacking and allegations of police corruption.

Michael Moore: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport corresponded with the First Minister on 17 and 18 July regarding the terms of reference for the Lord Justice Leveson Inquiry. The Lord Justice Leveson has confirmed that he is happy to discuss any issues regarding the inquiry directly with the First Minister.

NORTHERN IRELAND

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office has not spent any money on Sky TV subscriptions since May 2010.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available before 12 April 2010 following the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions. Since that date we have appointed no new members of the SCS. We have not entered into any consultancy agreements with any of these firms. One individual from one of the organisations named has provided advice on a personal, unpaid basis.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Owen Paterson: During June 2011 my Department received 10 letters from hon. Members.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

National Audit Office: Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission how many staff of the National Audit Office hold (a) a Government Procurement Card and (b) other corporate charge cards.

Edward Leigh: The National Audit Office (NAO) keeps under constant review the business need for individuals to have Government procurement cards. Following a review in July it has reduced the number of cardholders from 26 to 15. The NAO does not use other corporate charge cards.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (a) has been spent on and (b) is to be used to pay health worker salaries in that country.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1377W.

Afghanistan: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to support the Government of Afghanistan to (a) fill its national health worker gap and (b) ensure that health workers are supported to work in the parts of that country in greatest need.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 160W.

Afghanistan: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to support the Government of Afghanistan in delivering (a) health care and (b) other basic services.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 160W.

Afghanistan: Maternity Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) maternal, (b) newborn and (c) child mortality rates in Afghanistan.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 161W.

Africa: Agriculture

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the potential returns from investment in smallholder agriculture in Africa as a means of stimulating rural development and enabling the very poorest farmers to lift themselves out of poverty.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government recognises the importance of investing in smallholder agriculture and is a strong supporter of Africa's own initiative, the “Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme” (CAADP). CAADP's aim is to boost agricultural growth and productivity in order to reduce poverty and hunger. CAADP was established by the Africa Union in 2003 and its member states agreed to invest 10% of their national budgets in an effort to raise agricultural productivity growth to 6% per year. The UK has contributed to the establishment of the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System:
	www.resakss.org
	which monitors and assesses progress against these targets. In 2009, seven countries had met the 10% investment target and 17 have met or exceeded the 6% productivity target.

Africa: Education

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to increase the number of girls going to school in Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The Government have put the provision of more opportunities for girls to participate in education at the heart of our aid programme. Our aim over the next four years is to support at least 9 million young people in primary schools and 2 million young people at secondary level. 5.4 million of the primary school students and 550,000 of the secondary school students will be in Africa. We anticipate that at least 50% of these young people will be girls.
	In our 14 focus countries in Africa that are prioritising education as a result of our Bilateral Aid Review, we are exploring a number of different strategies' for addressing the high dropout of girls in primary education and supporting the transition to secondary school.
	We are working with a wide range of partners who share our concern to promote girls' education. Our partnership with the Nike Foundation's 'Girl Hub' focuses on meeting the educational needs of adolescent girls, working in particular in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda.

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have any subscriptions to Sky TV for any of its offices.

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

Andrew Mitchell: In the 12 months 13 July 2010-11 I flew, on official business, economy class 19 times and by budget airline twice.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1113W, on departmental carbon emissions, whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation it is installing on its estate were manufactured in the UK.

Alan Duncan: The biomass boiler has not yet been procured. It will be procured using best procurement practice and in accordance with appropriate UK procurement rules and legislation in order to achieve value for money.

Departmental Dismissal

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in his Department were dismissed for under-performance as a result of the procedures arising from his Department's staff appraisal system in each of the last three years.

Stephen O'Brien: No officials in the Department for International Development have been dismissed as a result of the procedures arising from his Department's staff appraisal system, in each of the last three years.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is unable to provide this information without incurring disproportionate costs. My Ministers and I regularly meet MPs of all parties to discuss DFID-related issues on which they have a concern or interest.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the policy of his Department is on the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme.

Alan Duncan: The UK has not contributed to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme. Department for International Development Ministers are still considering whether providing funds for this programme would represent value for money and make a significant, additional contribution to our support for food and nutritional security in developing countries.

Developing Countries: Education

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support he is giving to girls in developing countries to ensure that they have the same level of access to education as boys.

Stephen O'Brien: The Government are placing girls and women at the centre of our aid programme. All Department for International Development (DFID) education programmes will have a focus on girls and young women. We are working with existing and new development partners to combine general support to education systems with targeted interventions to address girls' drop out rates and support their transition to lower secondary schooling. Following a comprehensive review of all UK aid programmes the Government plans to support at least 9 million children in primary school, over half of whom will be girls, and 2 million children in secondary school by 2014-15.

Developing Countries: Education

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's development support on education (a) in Sierra Leone, (b) of girls in that country and (c) in other developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: Education is the key to beating poverty and one of the best investments we can make for global prosperity and our common future, Sierra Leone is still struggling to rebuild its education system after a brutal 10-year civil war and the UK will be significantly expanding its education programme over the next four years. Since the end of the war, the UK has helped the Government of Sierra Leone more than double the number of children in primary school to 1.4 million, helped train 3,100 teachers and provided support for nationwide school monitoring and supervision.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) places girls and women at the centre of its work. In Sierra Leone, DFID is focusing on, among other things: teacher training and management; improving the quality of education; and access for girls. Through support to the Government of Sierra Leone's budget, the UK has contributed to the rapid expansion in the number of girls receiving a primary education, from 585,000 in 2004 to 698,000 in 2010.
	By 2014-15 we will be supporting at least 11 million children in school, of which 250,000 will be in Sierra Leone.

Developing Countries: Females

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the opportunities to support the empowerment of women through his Department's Private Sector Department.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID) vision for girls and women has economic empowerment as a central pillar. DFID's Private Sector Department is working with, on and through the private sector to help women gain direct access to, and control over, economic assets, serving in turn to boost their status in communities and households. The Private Sector Department is developing programmes to support women by improving employment opportunities and increasing their access to financial and basic services.
	Across DFID, we plan to improve access to financial services for over 18 million women; help 2.3 million women attain employment, and secure land rights for 4.5 million women.

Developing Countries: Females

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the contribution of the CDC business plan to addressing gender disparities in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) recognises the importance of addressing gender disparity in terms of employment, training and opportunities for women in the developing world.
	Under its new high-level business plan, CDC capital will be focused on the poorest countries and parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where it will help support and create better and more equal opportunities for women through, for example, the provision of microfinance, where 70% of borrowers are typically women.
	CDC provides its fund managers with comprehensive guidance on environmental, social and governance issues. The guidance provides specific detail to managers on how to improve investee company performance on gender, including advice on pay, maternity and paternity leave, health matters, harassment and safety of women employees and appointing women to company boards.

Ethiopia: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many additional (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) midwives and (d) other health workers his Department estimates will be required in Ethiopia to achieve his Department's target to increase the number of births delivered with the help of nurses, midwives or doctors to 500,000 by 2015.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is scaling up UK support for health service delivery in Ethiopia. One of the targets for this support is to ensure that 500,000 additional births are delivered by a skilled birth attendant by 2015.
	DFID plans to support the delivery of the Government of Ethiopia's five year health sector programme to achieve this target. The Government of Ethiopia estimate the following projected need for additional health workers across Ethiopia in 2015.
	
		
			  Baseline (2010) Projected need (2015) Additional health workers needed 
			 (a) Doctors (all specialists and general practitioners) 2,152 16,024 13,872 
			 (b) Nurses 20,109 41,009 20,900 
			 (c) Midwives 1,379 8,635 7,256 
			 (d) Health officers 3,760 6,345 2,585

Ethiopia: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that health workers are deployed to the parts of Ethiopia identified as being in greatest need.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing support for health service delivery across Ethiopia. At the district level, this includes financing for the salary costs of government health workers. To 2015, the UK plans to support almost 3,000 community level Health Extension Workers who are providing a package of preventative and basic curative services to more than 7 million people in rural communities across the country.
	Despite these efforts, some parts of Ethiopia are lagging behind others in terms of access to health services. To respond to this, DFID is currently designing a 'Peace and Development Programme' (PDP) focusing initially in the Somali Region of Ethiopia which has the lowest health indicators in the country. PDP will include a service delivery component focussed on expanding people's access to health workers and services.

Liberia: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the number of health workers required in Liberia to achieve the objectives of its operational plan in respect of reducing (a) maternal and (b) infant mortality rates by 2013; and how many (i) doctors, (ii) nurses, (iii) midwives and (iv) other health workers his Department plans to support to meet these objectives.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 11 July 2011, Official Report columns 163-4W.

Liberia: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that health workers are deployed to the parts of Liberia in greatest need.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 163-4W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar).

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports on post-conflict planning in Libya have been produced by the Stabilisation Unit.

Andrew Mitchell: The Stabilisation Unit has not itself produced any report as such on post-conflict planning in Libya. It facilitated the deployment of an International Stabilisation Response Team (ISRT) to eastern Libya, on behalf of the Secretary of State for International Development. The International Stabilisation Response Team was composed of experts from the UK, US, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Australia and Turkey. The report they produced is intended to support Libyan-led stabilisation planning, and its analysis has informed the ongoing planning in Whitehall Departments as well as the National Transitional Council (NTC) and UN experts engaged in work on this.

Maldives: Overseas Aid

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help the Government of the Maldives to promote economic growth in that country.

Alan Duncan: As a middle income country without large numbers of people living on less than a dollar a day/the Maldives does not receive development aid directly from the UK. The UK does however support the Maldives indirectly through our contribution to multilateral partners such as the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank including with climate change funds.
	Secretary of State recently wrote to UK Trade and Investment encouraging them to do more to help the Maldivian Government as a Commonwealth country working hard to make democracy function after decades of dictatorship.

Maldives: Overseas Aid

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money was contributed to the Maldives from his Department's budget in 2010-11; and how much he plans to contribute to the Maldives in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development has now reduced its bilateral focus to 27 countries with huge burdens of poverty, of which the Maldives is not one. The Maldives has now graduated to middle income status and has achieved five out of the eight Millennium Development Goals ahead of the 2015 deadline.
	The UK does however support the Maldives through the British high commission in Colombo and indirectly through our contribution to multilateral partners such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The Maldives is also a pilot country in the Climate Investment Funds Scaling-up Renewable Energy Programme, which the UK supports, and can access the Special Climate Change Fund and Adaption Fund (which recently approved a $10 million freshwater supply project in the Maldives). The UK supports both these funds.

Maputo Declaration

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations his Department has made to African governments on implementation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Maputo Declaration.

Stephen O'Brien: Britain routinely discusses factors affecting economic growth and food security with partner governments in Africa. UK Government officials also participate in twice yearly meetings of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme. We use these meetings, and our country level work, to review the programme with the African Union and member states and urge progress towards the Maputo productivity and expenditure targets.

National Security Council

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what role and responsibilities he has in relation to the National Security Council; and what recent contribution he has made to its work.

Andrew Mitchell: I am a member of the National Security Council which meets regularly, in some cases several times a week. I contribute fully to the consideration of the wide-ranging domestic and international security questions tackled by the National Security Council.

Overseas Aid

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of his Department's systematic reviews into the effectiveness of its 10 key policy interventions.

Andrew Mitchell: The aim of Department for International Development (DFID) funded systematic reviews is to identify the effectiveness of key policy interventions of interest to DFID. Systematic reviews enable evidence to be neutrally mapped out, quality assured and synthesised, in order to inform policy and practice decisions, and increase value for money by basing decisions on a rigorous understanding of what works.
	By the end of March 2011, the 10 systematic reviews had been completed and were available on the Department for International Development's Research for Development website at a cost of £329,849. The groups that carried out the reviews were supported and peer reviewed by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation and the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre.

Sierra Leone: Education

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support he is providing to development in Sierra Leone in 2011-12; and how much support has been allocated to (a) education and (b) education of girls in that country.

Stephen O'Brien: In 2011-12, UK aid will support improved governance, economic growth and natural resource management and the delivery of better services, such as education, health care, security and justice across Sierra Leone. This support will enable 20,000 more births to be attended by trained health personnel, provide access to sanitation to nearly 400,000 people and support 168,000 children in primary and junior secondary school, of which 82,000 are girls. In order to achieve this £58 million has been allocated for development in Sierra Leone, of which £5 million is for education.
	While the UK's current education programme supports the general provision of education, new UK projects will begin in late 2011-12 and 2012-13 with specific activities targeting girls. These include piloting the provision of food packages to families on condition that their daughters attend school, teacher training and supervision and providing separate sanitation facilities at schools.

Sierra Leone: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives he has set for his Department's support for health sector salaries in Sierra Leone.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 7 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1383-4W.

Sierra Leone: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department plans to ensure that health workers are deployed to the parts of Sierra Leone in greatest need.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1384W.

Sierra Leone: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many additional health workers his Department estimates will be required in Sierra Leone to achieve the targets in his Department's operational plan for (a) reducing maternal mortality rates and (b) increasing the proportion of births delivered by skilled health personnel by 2015; and how many (i) doctors, (ii) nurses, (iii) midwives and (iv) other health workers his Department plans to provide support to meet these targets.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) on 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1384W.

South Sudan: Poverty

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to (a) poverty reduction and (b) education programmes in South Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID) four-year operational plan for South Sudan was published on 28 July 2011. DFID is aiming for ambitious results including: one million people getting enough food to eat; increased private sector investment and trade by reducing cross-border transport costs by up to 15%; 240,000 more children completing primary school, and 12 million textbooks printed and distributed to almost two million children.
	A total budget allocation of £375 million has been approved for South Sudan over the current AF period. In 2011-12 alone we are looking to spend nearly £90 million.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Agriculture

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is providing for the creation of new jobs in the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development is supporting the agricultural sector in countries such as Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe and by doing so is creating employment opportunities. For example, in Somalia the UK's support to the European Commission and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation is expected to create 45,000 agricultural and trade-related jobs by 2015, many of which will be taken up by women.
	Britain also supports the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) which was established in 2008 and has already supported a million farmers through the provision of grants or interest free loans to commercial enterprises to innovate and find profitable ways of improving market access for small farmers. In south Sudan, AECF has supported SAB Miller to work with small-holder farmers to grow cassava for beer production. This will improve market opportunities for around 2,000 farmers and create much needed employment in Africa's newest country. In Zimbabwe, AECF support is expected to create around 1,400 agriculture-related jobs by 2015.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Sanitation

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to assist in the provision of clean water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Alan Duncan: As set out in "UK Aid: Changing lives, delivering results" the UK Government aim to: give 15 million people access to clean drinking water; improve access to sanitation for 25 million people; and improve hygiene for 15 million people.
	The majority of our effort will be in Africa, which is where the needs are greatest and progress is in danger of stagnating. Subject to the preparation of robust business cases that demonstrate value for money, we plan to have five new major bilateral programmes on water and sanitation in Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe). We will also continue to support existing programmes in four countries that have among the largest numbers of people without access to water and sanitation in Africa (Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sierra Leone).

Sustainable Development: International Cooperation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will promote international systems for payment for ecosystem services as part of preparatory discussions for the Rio 2012 Conference on Sustainable Development.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK is currently working on options for the Rio conference. The agenda item at the conference on the "green economy" offers a key opportunity to deepen global understanding of the complex interactions between natural resources, climate change and poverty eradication through a strong economic growth lens, and to act on this understanding.
	We expect to support options for the conference that command the support of a wide range of countries and deliver real progress and benefits to developing countries. Promotion of international systems for payment for ecosystem services will be considered in this context.

Sustainable Development: International Cooperation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will bring forward proposals to reform the governance of the World Bank to give greater weight to sustainability issues as part of the preparatory process for the Rio 2012 Conference on Sustainable Development.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK's Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) highlighted areas where the World Bank is performing well and others where further reform is needed. These reforms will underpin an improvement in the bank's performance and overall effectiveness. A key area identified for reform is the need for the bank to step up its efforts to further integrate climate change and environmental sustainability across all its operations. We are already working with the bank and using a range of platforms to advance this agenda—particularly our own seat on the bank's board and other focused technical level discussions.
	The forthcoming Rio2012 conference offers a further opportunity to deepen global understanding of the reasons why such integration is necessary and to act on this understanding—through all multilateral and bilateral institutions, governments, civil society and the private sector. The UK expects to support options for the conference that command the support of a wide range of countries and deliver real progress and benefits to developing countries. Any outcomes relating to the World Bank's work will be considered in this context.

WALES

Broadcasting Programmes: Welsh Language

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether she has met (a) Welsh Ministers and (b) the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to discuss the future of Welsh language broadcasting, including the devolution functions; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have regular meetings with the First Minister and with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on a range of issues including Welsh language broadcasting.
	We remain committed to a strong and independent Welsh language TV service and believe that arrangements set out in the spending review last year will deliver a secure future for S4C. We therefore have no plans to devolve broadcasting matters.

Broadcasting Programmes: Welsh Language

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether she has met (a) Welsh Ministers and (b) the Secretary of State for the Home Department regarding the scrutiny of and support required by police commissioners in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales and I have met Welsh Government Ministers to discuss Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales.
	We have also met with Home Office Ministers and are continuing to work constructively with them to ensure that Police and Crime Commissioners are introduced effectively in Wales.
	We have discussed many aspects of the policy including scrutiny and support. The Government remains fully committed to the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners policy. Preparatory work has commenced to ensure that we get implementation right in Wales.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish data on road transport emissions in 2010.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA will publish national statistics on UK emissions of five major air quality pollutants for 2010 in December. The underlying data published at the same time will provide emissions for different source sectors, including road transport. Data on emissions of other air quality pollutants for 2010 by source sector will be published in February 2012.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change will publish national statistics on UK greenhouse gas emissions for 2010 in early February 2012.

Animal Welfare

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what training (a) farmers and (b) landowners will receive to ensure that cull operators are competent to (i) conduct a cull, (ii) minimise perturbation and (iii) do so with high regard to animal welfare.

James Paice: Operators would be required to demonstrate competence and attend an approved training course in order to obtain a licence to carry out culling. Training would comprise attendance at a Government-approved course which would cover anatomical and behavioural characteristics of badgers and how these differ from those of other species. Additional marksmanship training and assessment would be required for those who may have experience but no formal qualification. The licence conditions would also require all operators to adhere to Best Practice Guidance issued by DEFRA/Natural England.

Animal Welfare

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Wildlife Crime Unit on the unlawful persecution of badgers since September 2010; and on what dates.

James Paice: I met with representatives from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), including the Wildlife Crime Unit, on 7 February 2011 to discuss the proposed badger control policy.

Animals: Disease Control

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on measures to prevent animal diseases entering the UK; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: DEFRA Ministers and officials have continual contact, through various means, with their EU counterparts in Animal Health and Welfare teams across Europe to discuss issues relating to the prevention of animal diseases entering the UK.
	Most recently for example, amongst other issues, discussions have taken place in relation to rules surrounding the movement of pets and tapeworm controls.

Animals: Disease Control

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking (a) domestically and (b) at EU level to prevent the spread of disease (i) between and (ii) within wild animal, livestock and domesticated animal populations; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: Control policies for dealing with exotic disease are developed and reviewed in close partnership with delivery agents, core groups of stakeholders and specialists. This ensures they are proportionate and evidence based within the framework of European and national law. Our contingency plans for dealing with outbreaks, if they occur, are regularly reviewed. Plans are regularly tested at local and national level, working closely with delivery partners and industry. We closely monitor outbreaks of high impact disease around the world and assess the risk to the UK. All of these measures rely very much on vigilance by farmers and animal keepers in identifying and reporting possible disease. Monitoring animals for signs of disease and following good biosecurity and hygiene practices are essential ways of reducing risk of disease in the first place and then preventing spread. Further information is available through DEFRA’S website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the names of the independent scientific experts who are to be asked to evaluate the two badger cull pilots.

James Paice: Further details regarding the independent panel of scientific experts that will evaluate the two pilot areas will be published alongside an announcement on the outcome of the current consultation.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she has established for the (a) monitoring and (b) measurement of the effectiveness of the proposed badger cull pilots.

James Paice: Controlled shooting would be initially piloted in two areas, to test our assumptions about its effectiveness and humaneness. The evaluation of these pilots would be overseen by an independent panel of scientific experts. In parallel with the current consultation, we are drawing up details of how the pilots will be monitored and measured. These are likely to include monitoring humaneness via field observations and post mortems, and measuring the rate of badger removal. We expect the expert panel to advise on the exact specification of the monitoring work.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of badgers to be culled (a) per cull area and (b) in total in the next four years.

James Paice: We would expect around 1,000 to 1,500 badgers to be culled in a 150km(2) area over four years. This is based on data available from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). The total number of badgers culled will depend on the number of licences issued, and the size of area being culled. The number of licences issued will be limited to a maximum of 10 per year. Natural England will work with licence co-ordinators to assess the badger population in the control area and will set an upper limit on the percentage of the estimated badger population that may be killed each year in each control area.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the advice her Department has received from the Bern Convention Secretariat on the effect of a badger cull.

James Paice: The Bern Convention operates a “case file” system where, in response to a complaint received it may raise a file for discussion at the Bern Standing Committee. The contracting party against whom the complaint has been made will need to satisfy the Committee of action taken to address the issue and the Committee may advise what that action should be. The Bern Standing Committee will not take action before a complaint has been received.
	In 2010, the Bern Bureau considered a complaint from the Badger Trust about proposed badger control action in Wales. Having considered the reasons for the action proposed, the Bureau decided to take the case off the list of the complaints in stand-by.
	We are not aware of a complaint having been passed to the Bern Secretariat on the current proposal (published for consultation on 19 July 2011) for badger control in England as part of a package of measures to tackle TB in cattle.
	The UK is obliged under Article 9.2 of the Bern Convention to report every two years to the Bern Standing Committee any action taken in accordance with the derogations provided for under Article 9.1. Any control of badgers undertaken would need to be included in this report.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much a badger cull licence will cost.

James Paice: Under our current proposals applicants would not be charged for licences.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will publish the undertakings she has provided to the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the funding of the policing costs associated with a badger cull;
	(2)  whether she has considered the provision of armed police to (a) protect those contracted to conduct the badger cull and (b) to police any public protests arising from culls;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of (a) policing the two badger cull pilots and (b) policing for all culling activity in the next four years.

James Paice: I am afraid we cannot share the Home Office advice but I can assure you that we are in discussion with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and with the Home Office during the consultation period regarding the police response and associated costs related to badger culling.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average monetary guarantee groups of farmers and landowners will be required to provide to her Department for the grant of a cull licence.

James Paice: Participants would be required to deposit sufficient funds to cover the total expected cost of the four-year cull (plus a contingency sum) before culling begins. The amount that would be required to be deposited would vary according to the size and nature of the culling operation in each area so it is not possible at this stage to provide a figure for the average sum. Government would be able to access these funds in the event that it needed to intervene, and be able to levy additional funds from the original participants should that be necessary.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the likely reduction of bovine TB levels (a) in cull areas and (b) nationally after (i) four and (ii) nine years from the start of culling.

James Paice: The average effects seen during and post culling in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) can be used to estimate the average net effect of culling over different sized areas over a nine year period (average five years' culling and four year post cull period). For example, the estimated average net benefit of culling over an area of 150 km(2) and the surrounding 2 km ring is a 16.0% reduction in confirmed TB incidence (95% confidence interval: 7.9% reduction to 24.2% reduction), equating to the prevention of 47 cattle herd breakdowns. What is seen in reality will vary greatly depending on local conditions including the size of the area, local background incidence of TB, the relative contribution that badgers make to the disease and the degree to which the culled area is surrounded by barriers or buffers to minimise the perturbation effect. Any estimates of overall beneficial effect are illustrative for a defined set of circumstances.
	The Government are not proposing culling over the whole endemic area at the same time. We are proposing reductions of local badger populations in order to have a local impact in high incidence areas. A controlled reduction of badger populations in the worst affected areas can make an important contribution as part of a comprehensive and balanced package of measures to tackle TB in cattle.

Badgers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what areas her Department plans to use as comparators to assess the local impacts of badger culls.

James Paice: The Government will take responsibility for monitoring the effectiveness, humaneness and impact of badger control, which will include monitoring of TB incidence and other epidemiological measures in cattle. This is likely to include the examination of historical data and future incidence of TB in cattle within licensed areas and comparative areas where no badger control is taking place. Efforts will be made to match comparative areas to licensed areas on as many epidemiologically relevant characteristics as possible, e.g. geographical location and historical cattle TB incidence.

Badgers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the rate of survival of badgers injured but not killed in its previous trials of badger shooting;
	(2)  if she will make an assessment of the effects on the suffering experienced by badgers of (a) cage shooting and (b) free shooting.

James Paice: The only two culling methods that we are proposing to permit are cage-trapping and shooting and controlled shooting, on the basis that they are both considered to be humane. The Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) provided evidence on the humaneness of cage-trapping and shooting. No badgers were injured but not killed in this trial. Controlled shooting was not part of the RBCT, but has been effective in controlling other wild animal populations such as deer and foxes. This method has not been used to date in any trial or field test on badgers, which is why (if the Government decide to proceed with the policy following the current consultation) we intend to pilot it in two areas, to test our assumptions about its effectiveness (at removing badgers) and humaneness. These pilots would be overseen by an independent panel of scientific experts.

Badgers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence her Department has assessed of the likely effects of perturbation in conjunction with the practice of free shooting in plans for badger population control.

James Paice: There is no reason to believe that controlled shooting will have any greater effect on perturbation than cage trapping and shooting. Provided controlled shooting adheres to the same strict licence criteria, and the same number of badgers are removed during a similar period of time, there is no reason to suppose the effect seen will be any different to that observed in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT).
	As there are no empirical data available on the effect of controlled shooting on perturbation, this assessment is based on consultation with experts on badger ecology.
	We propose to take a precautionary approach through a pilot of the policy, initially licensing two areas in the first year.

Badgers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to take to ensure the continuity of badger culling under a licensing scheme for the duration of the trials.

James Paice: To ensure continuity that any culling would be carried out for a minimum of four years, we propose that all participants would be required to enter into agreements with Natural England, which would set out participants' obligations, and if necessary as a last resort allow Government to intervene, access participating land, take over responsibility for a culling operation, and recover costs from the participants, should the participants fail to meet the conditions of the licence.
	Participants would also be required to deposit sufficient funds to cover the total expected cost of the four-year cull (plus a contingency sum) before culling begins. Government would be able to access these funds in the event that it needed to intervene, and be able to levy additional funds from the original participants should that be necessary.

Badgers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals her Department has for vaccination around a badger culling area.

James Paice: As set out in our draft guidance to Natural England, vaccination could be used in combination with culling, for example as a buffer for areas where vaccination may help reduce the risks to vulnerable livestock of increased TB incidence, both within and surrounding a control area, as a result of perturbation from the local badger population.
	Where the use of vaccination in combination with culling is proposed, the following best practice is recommended:
	a. where vaccination is to be used as a buffer, it should be used at active badger setts found on, or adjacent to, land where vulnerable livestock are present and which fall within 2km of the edge of a control area;
	b. vaccination should take place at least 4 weeks prior to culling to allow immunity to develop in uninfected vaccinated animals;
	c. to mitigate any ongoing perturbation effect and begin to build up “herd immunity”, vaccination should be carried out annually, continuing for at least the same length of time as any culling on adjacent land; and
	d. where culling and vaccination are taking place on adjacent land, boundary cage-trapping (designed to cull badgers resident on inaccessible land) should be avoided.
	We also intend to make available up to £250,000 a year of new funding to support farmers and landowners who plan to vaccinate badgers. More details will be published shortly.

Badgers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what requirements (a) farmers and (b) landowners will be required to meet in order to receive licences for culling badgers.

James Paice: Applications for a culling licence must meet a range of criteria. These are set out in the draft guidance to Natural England, on which we are currently consulting with key stakeholders, at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/files/bovinetb-guidance-ne-110719-annexa.pdf

Badgers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to tackle bovine tuberculosis borne by badgers outside culling areas.

James Paice: The Government's TB control programme is focused on reducing the incidence of TB in cattle (and other vulnerable livestock) across the whole of England. The proposed badger control policy aims to reduce the incidence of TB in cattle in areas with a reservoir of disease in badgers and where infection is cycling between the species. In such areas the transmission risks can be reduced by badger culling and/or badger vaccination. In areas without a reservoir of disease in badgers, the main TB risk is from cattle movements. DEFRA's recently published “TB Eradication Programme for England” outlines a comprehensive range of cattle measures to address bovine TB which remain the cornerstone of our efforts to control the disease right across the country.

Biofuels

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Rapid Response Forum of G20 agriculture ministers plans to consider a temporary adjustment of biofuels policies.

James Paice: The Rapid Response Forum, which is a body of senior officials, will respond to particular crises as and when they occur or threaten to occur. It is thus not possible to say in advance what measures might be considered, since particular measures are likely to be relevant to some situations and not others. However, the action plan agreed by G20 Agriculture Ministers provides for further work on the relationship between biofuels production and the response of agriculture to price increase and volatility, and I expect the results of that work to be available to the forum in due course.

Boats

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boats with (a) a home mooring licence and (b) a continuous cruising licence have moored on average in (i) the Rivers Lea and Stort and (ii) the Regent's Canal in the last five years.

Richard Benyon: This information has been recorded since 2007 by British Waterways as follows:
	
		
			 Average boats observed during licence checks 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Rivers Lea and Stort     
			 Boats recorded as having a home mooring 571 737 769 712 
			 Boats recorded as being continuous cruisers 107 166 187 241 
			 Other(1) 22 18 37 45 
			 Total 700 921 993 998 
			      
			 Regent's Canal     
			 Boats recorded as having a home mooring 295 237 308 304 
			 Boats recorded as being continuous cruisers 33 42 56 112 
			 Other(1) 11 19 16 24 
			 Total 339 298 380 440 
			 (1) Includes boats for whom no mooring declaration was received, trailed boats and boats with home moorings on a non British Waterways navigation.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has for expenditure on research into combating bovine tuberculosis in each of the next four years.

James Paice: The Bovine TB research budget for the financial year 2011-12 is £7.9 million.
	For 2012-13 it will be £7.5 million.
	For 2013-14 it is anticipated to be between £6.6 million and £7.5 million.
	For 2014-15 it is anticipated to be between £5.4 million and £7.4 million.
	The budget has not yet been set for 2015-16.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of implementation of her Department's policy on the badger population in England on the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (a) between badgers and (b) from badgers to cattle in areas adjacent to designated culling areas.

James Paice: The results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) showed that incidence of TB in cattle on land immediately surrounding the culling area had a temporary increase, which then tailed off. With the latest post-trial analysis showing that 12-18 months after culling stopped the level of TB in cattle in the surrounding area was compatible with the survey-only areas. This is thought to be due to the disruption of the organisation of badger social groups, called perturbation, causing remaining badgers to range more widely. However, measures can be put in place to mitigate the negative effects seen in the surrounding area, including making use of barriers such as coastlines and major rivers, to limit badger movement. Vaccination could also be used to mitigate the negative effects of culling. Our proposal (on which we are currently consulting) therefore requires participants to take reasonable, proportionate and appropriate measures to minimise the risk of potential negative effects.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scientific evidence has been made available to her Department on the effects on control of bovine tuberculosis of individual licensing of badger culls.

James Paice: The results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) demonstrate that badger culling, done on a sufficient scale, in a widespread, coordinated and efficient way, and over a sustained period of time, would reduce the incidence of bovine TB in cattle in high incidence areas.
	The proposed policy is for groups of farmers/landowners covering areas of at least 150 sq km to apply for a single licence. One of the criteria for a licence is that the group would be required to co-ordinate culling across the whole area, for a six-week period, each year for four years.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the potential differences in the relative magnitude of the change in increased incidences and reduced incidences of bovine tuberculosis which will occur through the variation of any areas culled in comparison to those used during the random badger culling trial.

James Paice: In the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), an average five years of proactive culling over 100 sq km was associated with an average 23.2% decrease in confirmed TB incidence in the culled area, and an average 24.5% increase in the surrounding 2 km-wide ring of land, relative to survey-only areas.
	As the size of a culled area increases, the relative impact of any detrimental effects in the surrounding ring diminishes compared to the benefits seen in the culled area, so the overall net benefit increases. The size of this effect also depends heavily on other factors, including the local background incidence of TB, the density of cattle herds and the degree to which the culled area is surrounded by barriers or buffers to minimise the perturbation effect.
	The effects seen during and post culling in the RBCT can be used to estimate the average net effect of culling over different size areas.
	For example, the estimated average net benefit of culling over a culled area of 150 sq km and 2 km surrounding ring is a 16.0% reduction in confirmed TB incidence (95% confidence interval: 7.9% reduction to 24.2% reduction) over a nine year period (based on an average five years' culling and four year post cull period). This estimate assumes a higher initial TB incidence in the culled area relative to the surrounding ring.
	For comparison, for culling over a 100 sq km area (as in the RBCT), the estimated average net benefit over a nine year period would be a 14.0% reduction (95% confidence interval: 5.3% reduction to 22.8% reduction).

Brown-Tailed Moth Caterpillar

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has (a) considered the merits of and (b) assessed the efficacy of nucleopolyhedrovirus as a biological control of the brown-tailed moth caterpillar.

James Paice: The chemicals regulation directorate (CRD), which operates the approvals system for plant protection products, has not received an application for the approval of the use of nucleopolyhedrovirus to control the brown tailed moth caterpillar and no assessment has therefore been made. There is, however, a range of pesticide products approved for use against moths.
	While there is no approval for nucleopolyhedrovirus as a biological control of the brown-tailed moth caterpillar, CRD has approved other viruses for the control of moths such as the granulosis virus on the codling moth. CRD operates a Biopesticide Scheme which offers applicants advice and reduced fees to help in securing approval for such types of biological pesticides. The amount of scientific data required to support applications for such viruses has been reduced in line with international guidance.

Brown-Tailed Moth Caterpillar

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects on agricultural production of the brown-tailed moth caterpillar; and what steps her Department is considering to address the issue.

James Paice: The brown-tailed moth caterpillar is not a significant agricultural pest. Therefore we have not made an assessment of the caterpillar's effect on agricultural production, and are not considering steps to address the issue.

Coastal Erosion

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make funding available to Hartlepool borough council to secure coastal defences in the borough of Hartlepool between Crimdon Dene and Newburn Bridge; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: In February 2011, the Environment Agency provided nearly £400,000 to Hartlepool borough council to undertake a strategic review of the coastal frontage from Crimdon Dene to Newburn Bridge. This coastal strategy, which is due to be completed by the end of the year, will identify and categorise the risk of coastal erosion and coastal flooding along the frontage, and will identify strategic options to address any areas at immediate risk.

Coastal Erosion

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the coastal defences required to ensure that The Headland in the borough of Hartlepool is safeguarded against (a) flooding and (b) rising sea levels; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Hartlepool borough council is the Coastal Erosion Risk Management Authority leading on coastal protection for the Hartlepool headland.
	In November 2010, Hartlepool borough council secured £70,000 of funding from the Environment Agency to undertake a study into the coastal defences around the Hartlepool headland, as recommended by the approved River Tyne to Flamborough Head Shoreline Management Plan 2. The study is considering the existing condition of the defences, the assets at risk and options for securing the defences into the future.

Cormorants

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the number of cormorants which roost and feed inshore; and what steps she (a) has taken and (b) is considering to control their numbers.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 16 June 2011
	The most recently published figures from “The Wetland Bird Survey” relating to cormorants counted outside the breeding season are for the year 2008-09. Coastal and inland counts are not reported separately so figures for the number of cormorants which roost and feed inshore are therefore not available. Maximum counts outside of the breeding season were reported of 17,149 in Great Britain in September 2008, and of 1,619 in December 2008.
	No steps have been taken to control cormorant numbers at a national level. Where cormorants come into conflict with inland fisheries Natural England may issue licenses to lethally control cormorants. Licences to shoot cormorants, typically as an aid to scaring, are issued on a case by case basis at sites where there is evidence of serious damage to fisheries, or a risk of serious damage occurring, and all other practical alternatives have been tried and have failed.
	Recognising concerns raised by anglers and fishery managers, I announced at the Angling and Fisheries summit on 25 January that the Government are to carry out a review of the current policy in relation to managing the impact of predation on inland fisheries from fish-eating birds, including cormorants. Once completed the outcomes of the review will be made publicly available.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many letters her Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA received 988 letters and 11 invitations directly from hon. Members in June 2011. 88 of the letters were on subjects for which DEFRA is not responsible and so were transferred to the relevant Departments. Just over 100 letters on DEFRA's subjects were transferred in by other Departments.

Departmental Food

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) each Government Department auditing the welfare assurance of each of its catering contracts and (b) making it mandatory through Government Buying Standards for Departments to buy products that meet an existing, recognised farm assurance label.

Richard Benyon: The Department has made no direct assessment of the cost of auditing the welfare assurance of its catering contract. The welfare assurance factors of the catering contracts would be reviewed in the ongoing management of the catering contracts on a daily and weekly basis by the supplier and the Department.
	The Department has now centralised its catering contract provision covering 11 sites in England. The mandatory use of the Government Buying Standards to buy products that meet an existing, recognised farm assurance label is included in this managed catering service.

Departmental Labour Turnover

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) her Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which she is responsible since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: The number of staff who have been (a) recruited, (b) made redundant and (c) taken voluntary redundancy or left on a voluntary exit scheme from (i) the Department, and (ii) each NDPB since May 2010 is set out in the following table. The NDPBs recorded here are DEFRA's executive non-departmental public bodies.
	Please note that the Commission for Rural Communities and the Sustainable Development Commission have closed since May 2010, while Food From Britain closed in 2009. The Agricultural Wages Board and the Agricultural Wages Committee do not employ any staff.
	
		
			 Department /NDPB Number of staff recruited Number of staff made compulsorily redundant Number of staff taking voluntary redundancy or leaving on voluntary exit scheme 
			 DEFRA (including the executive agencies) 176 — 722 
			 Food From Britain n/a n/a n/a 
			 Environment Agency 218 89 560 
			 Agricultural, Horticultural Development Board 96 14 0 
			 Marine Management Organisation — 0 15 
			 Commission for Rural Communities 0 40 — 
			 Agricultural Wages Board n/a n/a n/a 
			 Agricultural Wages Committee n/a n/a n/a 
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 12 0 0 
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee — 0 0 
			 National Forest Company — 0 — 
			 Consumer Council for Water 0 0 0 
			 Seafish 0 11 0 
			 Sustainable Development Commission 0 24 8 
			 Kew 71 — 0 
			 Natural England 11 0 294 
			 Note: Numbers of less than five are not disclosed for reasons of confidentiality

Departmental Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) her Department and (b) each non-departmental body for which she is responsible has spent on redundancies since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: The amount spent on (a) compulsory redundancy payments and (b) voluntary redundancy payments and compensation paid to staff leaving on voluntary exit schemes since May 2010 in (i) the Department, and (ii) each NDPB is set out in the following table. The NDPBs recorded here are DEFRA’s Executive NDPBs.
	Please note that the Commission for Rural Communities and the Sustainable Development Commission have closed since May 2010, while Food From Britain closed in 2009. The Agricultural Wages Board and the Agricultural Wages Committee do not employ any staff.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Department/NDPB Amount spent on compulsory redundancy payments Amount spent on voluntary redundancy payments and voluntary exit scheme compensation 
			 DEFRA (including the Executive agencies) 248,483 28,651,496 
			 Food From Britain n/a n/a 
			 Environment Agency 3,040,514 24,546,875 
			 Agricultural, Horticultural Development Board 328,351 0 
			 Marine Management Organisation 0 350,000 
			 Commission for Rural Communities 707,318 128,000 
			 Agricultural Wages Board n/a n/a 
			 Agricultural Wages Committee n/a n/a 
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 0 0 
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee 0 0 
			 National Forest Company 0 59,404 
			 Consumer Council for Water 0 0 
			 Seafish 148,697 0 
			 Sustainable Development Commission 356,442 119,696 
			 Kew (1)— 0 
			 Natural England 0 10,900,000 
			 (1) Amount not disclosed for reasons of confidentiality

Departmental Redundancy

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The amount spent on (a) compulsory redundancy payments and (b) voluntary redundancy payments and compensation paid to staff leaving on voluntary exit schemes since May 2010 in (i) the Department, and (ii) each NDPB is set out in the following table. The NDPBs recorded here are DEFRA’s Executive NDPBs.
	Please note that the Commission for Rural Communities and the Sustainable Development Commission have closed since May 2010, while Food From Britain closed in 2009. The Agricultural Wages Board and the Agricultural Wages Committee do not employ any staff.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Department/NDPB Amount spent on compulsory redundancy payments Amount spent on voluntary redundancy payments and voluntary exit scheme compensation 
			 DEFRA (including the Executive agencies) 248,483 28,651,496 
			 Food From Britain n/a n/a 
			 Environment Agency 3,040,514 24,546,875 
			 Agricultural, Horticultural Development Board 328,351 0 
			 Marine Management Organisation 0 350,000 
			 Commission for Rural Communities 707,318 128,000 
			 Agricultural Wages Board n/a n/a 
			 Agricultural Wages Committee n/a n/a 
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 0 0 
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee 0 0 
			 National Forest Company 0 59,404 
			 Consumer Council for Water 0 0 
			 Seafish 148,697 0 
			 Sustainable Development Commission 356,442 119,696 
			 Kew (1)— 0 
			 Natural England 0 10,900,000 
			 (1) Amount not disclosed for reasons of confidentiality

Farming Regulation Task Force

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she expects to respond to the recommendations of the Independent Farming Regulation Task Force;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills conducting the Employment Law Review on the Independent Farming Regulation Task Force's recommendations on reform of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority;
	(3)  what discussions she has had with (a) trades unions and (b) the Association of Labour Providers on the Independent Farming Regulation Task Force's recommendations on reform of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

James Paice: The Government are considering the recommendations made by the independent task force on farming regulation and will publish an initial response this autumn and a final response early in 2012. The response will take account of other reviews, including the employment law review.
	DEFRA officials are working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) on the review of Government enforcement of workplace rights, which forms part of the employment law review. The independent task force recommended changes in respect of Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) processes and communications but not on reform of the authority. These recommendations have been discussed by the GLA board, on which trade unions, the Association of Labour Providers, DEFRA and BIS are represented.

Fisheries

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK fixed quota allocation is held by non-active fishermen.

Richard Benyon: Information in terms of the holdings of Fixed Quota Allocation (FQA) units by members of each UK fishermen's Producer Organisations is available as part of the information released each year as part of the process of allocating the overall UK quota out to various parts of the industry. The latest information available is on holdings as at 1 January 2010 used to distribute quotas for 2010, and it is available from the Marine Management Organisation's internet site at:
	http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/management/quotas.htm
	Similar information for the position as at 1 January 2011 is currently being finalised as part of final allocations of quotas for 2011.
	These reports do not include details of holdings by non-active fishermen. Such information would include personal data as defined in Section 1(1) of the Data Protection Act as information relating to living persons, and thus disclosure would breach the principles within the act. In addition, the information requested is effectively details of a commercial (or personal) asset held by the owner and is thus regarded as commercially sensitive, in that if others gain knowledge of their quota ownership (or possibly lack of ownership), it may potentially affect business agreements they might enter into.
	The commercial sensitivity and personal nature of the information also prevents the provision of the information. In addition, a significant proportion of quota is held by producer organisations themselves on behalf of their members or other individuals. The actual beneficial holder of the quota is known by the producer organisation involved but this information is not routinely collected by fisheries administrations. As such it is not possible to determine to what extent these holdings may be held by those who are not-active fishermen.
	An exercise was carried out in 2007 to look at the details on the ownership of the quota allocation units held by Producer Organisation (PO) on behalf of others. This indicated that for the total holdings of FQA units in the UK, the proportion held by Pos themselves rather than linked to individual vessels was 18.6%. Of this, 3.1% was being held by the PO itself on behalf of its members as a collective asset, 5.5% on behalf of individual active members of the PO, 4.4% held on behalf of vessel agents or salesmen, 2.0% held as part of Community Quota Schemes and 3.5% on behalf of other types of owner.

Fisheries: Foreign Nationals

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many foreign fishing vessels with historical rights of access have access to the six to 12 nautical miles UK coastal zone.

Richard Benyon: Full details of the access arrangements for foreign fishing vessels in the UK six to 12 mile coastal zone are set out in Article 17.2 and Annex 1.1 of Council Regulation 2371/2002. Under these arrangements, all fishing vessels from France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Ireland have either full or limited access to some parts of the UK six to 12 mile limits. The Government do not keep records of the number of vessels that actually exercise these rights of access.

Fisheries: Safety

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to safeguard the under 10 metre fishing fleet in (a) the North East and (b) Hartlepool; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The proposals set out in the recently conducted consultation on domestic fisheries management reforms seek to create a more profitable, sustainable, unified fishing industry in the long term, which will benefit the under 10 metre fishing fleet.
	The responses to the consultation are currently being analysed, and will be used to inform future policy decisions. Any decisions that are made will be for the benefit of the industry as a whole and with due regard to the impacts on the under 10 metre fleet fishermen around the coast, including in the North East, and specifically Hartlepool.
	The Government's response to the consultation will be published at the end of September.

Food: Procurement

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider encouraging local authority care homes to comply with Government Buying Standards for the public procurement of food and food services.

James Paice: Although Government Buying Standards (GBS) will only be mandatory for central Government, GBS is also being promoted to the wider public sector including local authorities, who control procurement in many public bodies care homes and schools. There is a balance to be struck between the need to ensure food procured by the public sector is healthier and more sustainable and the need for local public sector bodies to make their own decisions on how best to spend the public money that they are allocated. Given the current financial pressures on all public expenditure it is essential that the measures are affordable and deliver real benefits in terms of sustainability and improved nutrition.
	There are many examples of public bodies finding good, healthy and sustainable food, that is no more expensive, right on their doorstep and I know that many people would like to see this happen more. In keeping with the Government's localism approach, we want to give people and communities power to make changes on issues like this that are important to them. We would like to see all public sector bodies procuring at least to GBS standards and we will encourage them to do so. But many people want to go further than this, and our approach to public sector procurement has been designed to support them. We want local people to be able to express their own preferences and for their voices to be heard.

LIFE

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the European Commission on the eligibility for the next programming round of LIFE+ of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the EU member states;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with her (a) French and (b) Dutch counterparts about opening up the next programming round of LIFE+ to the Overseas Countries and Territories of the EU member states;
	(3)  what her policy is on the opening up of the next programming round of LIFE+ to British Overseas Territories.

Richard Benyon: The European Commission is yet to make its proposal for a new EU financial instrument for the environment. Discussions with the European Commission or other member states are not currently planned in advance of seeing the European Commission's proposal. Once this is available we will develop a UK position.

Livestock: Transport

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to amend the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 to allow the owner of a port to refuse its use for the live export of animals; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning), on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 956W.

Members: Correspondence

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to reply to the letters of (a) 24 May 2011 and (b) 22 June 2011 from the Rt. hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, concerning the over-breeding of low-valued ponies.

James Paice: I replied to the right hon. Member's letters to Lord Henley on 27 July 2011. This was due to the high volume of correspondence received during this period.

Milk: Prices

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of European Commission data on farm gate milk prices in pence per litre in EU member states; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The milk price in pence per litre in EU member states recorded by the European Commission for the last five years is given as follows (some data are unavailable).
	Recent monthly figures from the Commission show that the UK has the lowest average raw milk price of all EU member states.
	
		
			 Member state 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Austria 21.03 24.01 31.76 26.66 28.10 
			 Belgium 18.96 24.48 26.14 21.76 26.93 
			 Bulgaria — — — 23.30 24.42 
			 Czech Rep. 18.89 20.83 26.86 20.78 24.99 
			 Cyprus 28.35 29.23 40.70 46.90 45.34 
			 Denmark 20.35 22.37 30.42 25.30 28.22 
			 Estonia 17.08 19.01 24.26 19.35 24.51 
			 Finland 25.21 26.53 37.55 36.39 32.83 
			 France 20.55 22.27 29.69 27.43 27.35 
			 Germany 18.93 23.07 27.36 21.79 27.36 
			 Greece 24.55 27.32 35.36 34.61 32.99 
			 Hungary 16.58 20.17 26.27 19.73 23.03 
			 Ireland 19.11 24.72 29.06 22.74 27.19 
			 Italy 22.52 24.25 30.62 28.08 29.89 
			 Latvia 16.50 18.66 22.55 17.16 22.21 
			 Lithuania 14.30 17.24 20.75 16.78 22.24 
			 Luxembourg 21.40 25.52 30.78 24.66 26.32 
			 Malta — — — — — 
			 Netherlands 19.52 23.22 29.40 24.61 27.77 
			 Poland 17.85 20.88 24.74 20.38 24.17 
			 Portugal 19.23 22.38 29.71 26.67 25.34 
			 Romania — — — 18.71 21.18 
			 Slovakia 17.58 20.49 26.38 19.26 24.15 
			 Slovenia 18.55 19.79 27.03 23.80 23.74 
			 Spain 20.80 25.00 31.00 26.82 25.98 
			 Sweden 20.12 22.12 29.42 24.04 29.74 
			 United Kingdom 17.98 20.80 25.78 23.71 24.65 
			 Source:  DG Agri and DairyCo 
		
	
	UK dairy farmers are among the most efficient and competitive in Europe. I have challenged the industry to capture more of domestic and export markets given the low farmgate price paid relative to our European competitors.

Nature Conservation: Voluntary Work

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department plans to provide to (a) the Muck In4Life campaign and (b) any other element of the Change4Life campaign in each of the next four years.

Richard Benyon: We have made initial commitments to fund some community activity for Muck In4Life in 2011-12, but have not made any commitments on any other element of the Change4Life campaign over the next four years as this would be led by the Department of Health. It is possible that some further funding may be available in the future, but in keeping with the principles of big society and the commitments of the Natural Environment White Paper we will be looking to promote Muck In4Life using partner networks and sponsorship.

Plants: Diseases

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will put in place measures to improve the protection of indigenous plants from diseases and pests borne on foreign plant imports.

James Paice: Under the EU Plant Health Directive, the UK implements a series of measures to prevent the entry of plant pests and diseases. These include the requirement to inspect plant imports and for consignments of plants to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. These certificates confirm that the exporting country has attested to the health of the plants and that they meet the EU's import requirements. Despite this regime of inspection and other statutory requirements, there are frequent findings of pests and diseases in imports both from within and outside the EU. The weaknesses of the current regime in providing adequate protection for the UK and other member states from plant pests and disease has prompted a review of the EU's plant health regime, which we are actively supporting.
	The UK and other member states are pressing for improved controls so that import inspections are focused on trades presenting the highest risks, and so that new trades, particularly those involving plants for planting, are subject to assessment of risk in advance of import. Other issues, such as the tightening of the concession which allows travellers to import limited quantities of plants and plant material for personal use are also under consideration. We anticipate these will be consulted on next year after the EU publishes its draft proposals for change.
	To strengthen controls at our borders, there is also a programme of research at the Food and Environment Research Agency to improve methods of detection of pests in consignments of plants. This includes the development of quick test kits to detect the DNA of plant pathogens and the use of acoustic technology to detect insect larvae within the stems of plants.

Third Sector

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation Ministers in her Department have visited since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 19 July 2011
	DEFRA already publishes a list of ministerial meetings with all external organisations, including charities and voluntary organisations. This is published on a quarterly basis and is placed on the DEFRA website.

Trees: Disease Control

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the spread of sudden oak death in English woodlands.

James Paice: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish) on 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 611W.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Attorney-General how many senior civil servants in the Law Officers' Departments at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements these Departments had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised those Departments in each such year.

Edward Garnier: During the last four years the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) recruited one individual directly into the senior civil service (SCS). This person had worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers and was recruited at SCS1.
	No other individuals previously working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Ernst and Young, Deloitte or KPMG have been employed by the Law Officers' Departments at SCS grade during this period of time.
	Deloitte were engaged by the Attorney-General's Office for consultancy work in connection with the Fraud Review and establishment of the National Fraud Authority in the financial year ending 31 March 2008. Two consultants were engaged.
	KPMG LLP were engaged by the Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol) for consultancy work on the development of the TSol Finance and Vision Strategy in the financial year ending 31 March 2009. One lead consultant was engaged; it is not recorded whether any or how many consultants worked in support of the lead consultant.
	In addition, PWC and Ernst and Young have been engaged by Tsol to provide expert witness reports for eight cases in the last four years.
	One other individual from PWC undertook some consultancy work at the SFO for four months in December 2008 to March 2009.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Attorney-General how many letters the Law Officers' Departments received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 MPs letters in June 2011 
			  Number 
			 CPS 35 
			 TSol 1 
			 HMCPSI 0 
			 SFO 5 
			 AGO 29

Departmental Telephone Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Attorney-General how much funding he has allocated to each telephone helpline operated by the Law Officers' Departments in 2011-12; and what the purpose is of each such helpline.

Edward Garnier: The only dedicated helpline operated by the Law Officers' Departments is a telephone inquiry line operated by the Bona Vacantia Division of TSol. This deals with general inquiries and provides information and advice to callers on Bona Vacantia cases. There is no separate budget to run this inquiry line. The cost is subsumed within the general running of the Bona Vacantia Division which is itself funded through the revenue it generates.

Prosecutions

John Mann: To ask the Attorney-General on what dates the Director of Public Prosecutions has discussed possible prosecutions of police officers or journalists with (a) other staff of the Crown Prosecution Service, (b) Ministers, (c) the Metropolitan Police and (d) other interested parties since 2003.

Edward Garnier: There are regular and frequent meetings and discussions between the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) staff, police and Ministers on a range of issues. Case-related meetings are not recorded in a way that allows the interrogation of the central records to identify the defendant's occupation. Cases might also be discussed as part of meetings on other topics.
	The CPS's case management system records cases under defendants' names. It does not specifically identify the occupation of defendants. While the CPS's special crime division deals with serious cases, including those involving police officers as defendants, cases involving more minor allegations against police officers may be dealt with by any of the CPS's area offices throughout England and Wales. Cases involving journalists could also be dealt with by any of the area offices. Defendants' occupations could be identified in every case only by examining individual case files.
	The CPS, like all Government Departments, operates a carefully controlled policy under the Public Records Acts, which ensures that paperwork is retained for as long as is necessary, but no longer. Since 2003, some of the case files relating to police officers or journalists as defendants will therefore have been destroyed in accordance with their departmental policy in relation to the retention and destruction of files.

Prosecutions

John Mann: To ask the Attorney-General how many requests to prosecute journalists for offences related to receiving information from police sources the Crown Prosecution Service discussed with the Metropolitan Police in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) case management system records cases under defendants' names. It does not specifically identify the occupation of defendants. Defendants' occupations could be identified in every case only by examining individual case files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain: Historic Buildings

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Government of Bahrain on the recent demolition of mosques, places of worship and places of cultural and historical significance in that country.

Alistair Burt: We continue to make representations to the Government of Bahrain related to human rights abuses. However, although we are aware that some structures were removed during the unrest, we have not made specific representations about alleged demolition of mosques, places of worship or places of cultural and historical significance.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: War Crimes

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

David Lidington: The Government's most recent contact with representatives of the victims of the Srebrenica massacre took place on 11 July in Srebrenica at the commemoration marking the 16(th) anniversary of the genocide there. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) asked my noble Friend Baroness Warsi, Minister without Portfolio, to represent the UK. Her presence at the event (which she also attended on behalf of the Government in July 2010) underlines the importance the UK attaches to marking the anniversary, to honouring the victims and to expressing sympathy with their friends and families. In addition, the Prime Minister issued a statement marking the occasion. He reiterated his conviction that the world must never again allow such atrocities to occur unopposed.
	The UK has committed considerable programme funding to Srebrenica-related projects since 2000, including contributing to construction of the memorial complex in Srebrenica, support to the International Commission for Missing Persons and legal secondments to the team in the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) State Prosecutor's Office dealing with Srebrenica-related crimes. My noble Friend Baroness Warsi visited partners in British embassy project activity relating to Srebrenica during her visit. The Foreign Secretary and I have also taken the opportunity to learn more about this work during our own visits to Sarajevo over the past year.
	There has been considerable progress towards regional reconciliation in recent years, and many of those responsible for war crimes in the Balkans have already faced justice. The recent arrest of Ratko Mladic underlines the international community's commitment to bringing to justice those responsible for war crimes. While this judicial process can never compensate the bereaved for the losses they continue to bear, the arrest of Mladic, and the subsequent arrest of the last remaining International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia indictee, Goran Hadzic, should mark a turning point for all the countries of the Western Balkans and the start of a new chapter of cooperation and reconciliation.

British Nationals Abroad: Death

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department plans to finalise the new Memorandum of Understanding on the deaths of UK citizens abroad.

Jeremy Browne: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is co-ordinating drafting of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in respect of both the deceased and their family when a British national dies as a result of murder, manslaughter or infanticide abroad. The MoU clarifies the role of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Victim Support National Homicide Service and Coroners Society of England and Wales. I hope it will be available for agreement by the various signatories within the next month.
	The NPIA will issue the final version for signature.

Burma: Political Prisoners

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help secure the freedom of political prisoners in Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The immediate and unconditional release of Burma's estimated 2,000 political prisoners is an important benchmark by which the UK judges the Burmese Government. We are encouraged that Aung San Suu Kyi met the Burmese President on 19 August and we have called for tangible progress from this dialogue including the release of all political prisoners.
	Our ambassador to Rangoon regularly raises with the Burmese authorities the need for the release of all political prisoners. Officials pressed the Burmese President's Chief Political Adviser on 18 August to take such action. The Government also repeatedly raise this issue during discussions with our international partners and in the UN. We are currently working to secure the toughest possible resolution at the UN General Assembly which we hope will repeat calls for Burma to release all political prisoners and work towards national reconciliation.

Departmental Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible has spent on redundancies since May 2010.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) plans to reduce its work force over the next four years in line with our settlement in the comprehensive spending review. This has not required any spending on compulsory redundancies which we hope to avoid through careful work force planning and voluntary exit rounds. The FCO will only consider making redundancies when its requirements for members of staff to carry out work of a particular kind or at a particular location have reduced, ceased or are expected to do so. We have run four voluntary exit rounds since May last year. We expect to run a further two voluntary exit rounds this year and further rounds over the spending review period. None of the non-departmental public bodies for which we are responsible have made compulsory redundancies.

Departmental Redundancy

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010.

Henry Bellingham: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) plans to reduce its work force over the next four years in line with our settlement in the comprehensive spending review.
	This has not required any spending on compulsory redundancies which we hope to avoid through careful work force planning and voluntary exit rounds. The FCO will only consider making redundancies when its requirements for members of staff to carry out work of a particular kind or at a particular location have reduced, ceased or are expected to do so. We have run four voluntary exit rounds since May last year. We expect to run a further two voluntary exit rounds this year and further rounds over the spending review period.

Departmental Telephone Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding he has allocated to each telephone helpline operated by his Department in 2011-12; and what the purpose is of each such helpline.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s Consular staff in London and overseas regularly answer phone calls from British Nationals seeking our help, including through our 24 hour Global Response Centre. Consular Directorate also provides the following telephone helplines:
	Travel Advice telephone line—This service offers access to Foreign Office travel advice to those who are unable to view it online, or who wish to inquire in person. The service is currently provided by a commercial partner and we have budgeted £180,000 for 2011-12. We continue to improve our online travel advice, and hope to reduce this cost by making online advice easier to use.
	Overseas Crises—In a crisis affecting British Nationals overseas the FCO may activate a call handling capacity to take calls from affected members of the public, either in-house or outsourced to a commercial partner or the police. This depends on the scale of the incident. These call handlers usually respond to calls to a dedicated emergency hotline number. Funding for operational costs is not allocated in advance, but these costs can be claimed for from the Treasury held Emergency Disaster Reserve should the total costs of our crisis response surpass £150,000.
	Legalisation, and Births, Deaths and Marriages Inquiries—This service is currently being provided by a commercial partner, to enable the Legalisation Office staff to process documents as efficiently as possible and ensure calls are always answered promptly. The budget for 2011-12 is £80,000. Within the same contract, there is an inquiry line for British Nationals looking to register a birth or death or with questions about getting married or arranging a civil partnership overseas.
	Passport Inquiry line—Between 1 June 2009 and 1 April 2011, Consular Directorate employed Careline, a UK based company, to provide a telephone inquiry and tracking service for customers applying for passports overseas. Careline continue to provide this service but the contract is now managed by the Identity and Passport Service, an executive agency of the Home Office. The FCO did not pay for this service; customers are charged direct by Careline. Exceptionally, the FCO covered the cost of calls to Careline, from 15 July to 31 July 2011 for customers served by the Regional Passport Processing Centre in Dusseldorf and from 15 July until 31 August for customers served by the Processing Centre in Washington because of delays in passport production. The final amount of these exceptional costs is not yet known.
	Consular Directorate provides specific telephone numbers for certain customers requiring FCO support. These are regular FCO phone lines manned by Consular staff at no additional cost:
	The Child Abduction Section helpline to answer urgent questions from British Nationals involved in a parental child abduction, residence or contact dispute overseas;
	The Forced Marriage Unit helpline, for British Nationals who are worried about a possible forced marriage. This is a joint initiative with the Home Office; A helpline for MPs wishing to speak to a member of Consular Directorate about constituency cases.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department publishes on foreign visits to be undertaken by Ministers of his Department; how much prior notification is provided to external bodies of such visits; and how such information is publicised.

David Lidington: For security and operational reasons, we do not generally comment on or announce visits significantly in advance. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works closely with foreign governments and, where relevant, external organisations in planning visits. Information about visits is provided through press releases and the FCO publishes a retrospective quarterly list of ministerial visits on its website.

Environment Protection: International Cooperation

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with his international counterparts on the development of low-carbon technologies.

Henry Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had discussions with counterparts on a range of issues including the transition to low carbon. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working hard to help create the political conditions in key countries for a rapid and efficient global low carbon transition. Alongside UK Trade and Investment, the FCO is also championing British companies that develop and export innovative green technologies around the world.

European External Action Service

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on whether climate change and energy security should be a priority for the European External Action Service.

David Lidington: On 18 July 2011 the Foreign Affairs Council adopted Conclusions which set out the need for climate and energy security to be included as part of the European External Action Service's role. This was a direct result of a joint request by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and his German counterpart. I reinforced this during ongoing discussions with European Union counterparts covering the role of the European External Action Service. Progress made by the European External Action Service on these issues will be reviewed at a future Foreign Affairs Council.

Food: Prices

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of recent trends in food prices on the development of popular uprisings in North Africa and the middle east.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office monitors and conducts analysis on the impact of commodity prices to the world economy including in the North Africa and the middle east region.
	North Africa is particularly vulnerable to food price volatility, with poor domestic conditions and significant exposure to international markets. The region is a substantial net importer of wheat and heavily subsidises consumption. Food price inflation was one contributory factor to the Tunisian and Egyptian unrest, and fuelled discontent across the region. Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt have all reassured citizens that food and commodity subsidies will be maintained amidst the recent unrest. Although allowing Governments to quell immediate discontent, this brings significant fiscal constraints, shoring up problems for the future. We believe Governments need to adopt sustainable economic and targeted social protection policies which deliver long-term benefits for the development of their societies and prospects for their people. Putting these policies in place will need to be carefully sequenced over time especially given the very high expectations of people to see tangible benefits from reforms.
	The major oil exporters in the middle east are well guarded against the fiscal pressures of rising food prices. Food insecurity continues in Yemen, and recent droughts have turned Iran from a significant wheat exporter to a wheat importer.
	As part of the Government’s new ‘'Building Stability Overseas Strategy’ (BSOS), an early warning system is being developed to anticipate instability and potential triggers for conflict. This will allow for early preventive action as well as rapid response to any incidents. BSOS also seeks to invest in upstream prevention on instability by helping to build legitimate institutions in fragile countries.

Greece: Shipping

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request from his Greek counterpart an explanation of the basis in international law for the actions of the Greek authorities in preventing British-registered civilian vessels from departing ports in Greece in early July 2011.

David Lidington: We are not aware that any British-registered civilian ships were prevented from departing ports in Greece in July 2011. The Greek Government have publicly stated that their decision to ban the departure of Greek or foreign vessels from Greek ports to the Gaza naval blockade zone was based on their own maritime laws, as well as concerns about security and the protection of human life. We do not intend to request any further explanations.

Human Rights: Business

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account the Overseas Business Risk Service will take of the human rights situation in countries upon which the service advises UK businesses on risk.

Henry Bellingham: Our Overseas Business Risk website which is run jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Trade and Investment offers country specific advice to British companies to help them manage political and reputational risks when operating overseas. We intend to develop the website further in order that it provides context on some of the key issues that business may want to consider, such as complying with UK legislation on Bribery or the potential impact their business activity can have on human rights and how to avoid adverse impacts as a part of their political and reputational risk management.
	We believe that free trade and economic growth promote development and respect for human rights. We encourage British businesses to be aware of their potential impacts on human rights. Not only is there a moral imperative to ensure that human rights are respected, we think there is also a strong business case for doing so as an important contribution to stable, healthy and sustainable markets.

Iran: Higher Education

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Iranian Government on recent raids on the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned by Iranian action to shut down the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education. We have raised this issue with the Iranian Charge d'Affaires a number of times, including most recently when I met the Charge on 2 August 2011, requesting an official response to the issue in writing. We will continue to call on Iran to respect the full and equal rights of its people regardless of their faith or ethnicity in line with its international obligations, and to cease the harassment of the Baha'i community.

Jerusalem: Religious Freedom

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the status of Jerusalem as a holy city for all faiths.

Alistair Burt: Jerusalem has unique religious significance to many different faith groups. Our goal is a secure and universally recognised Israel living alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, based on the borders of 1967, with Jerusalem the future capital of both states. It is important that all religions can enjoy the religious sites and practice their religious beliefs in a safe and secure environment with mutual respect.
	The UK attaches great importance to ensuring freedom of worship for those of all faiths. The Government condemns all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief. We strongly support the right to freedom of religion or belief as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the full implementation of the 1981 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.

Libya: British Nationals Abroad

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals in Libya.

Alistair Burt: On the basis of the number of calls we are currently receiving, we estimate that there are fewer than 100 British nationals in Libya.
	We continue to advise against all travel to Libya. We also advise any British nationals currently there to leave. Since the crisis began, British missions in Tunis and Alexandria have assisted over 200 British nationals who have been able to leave Libya.

Libya: Females

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he will prioritise the participation of women in any discussion on the future of Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We will continue to discuss the participation of women with the National Transitional Council. We underline the need to protect their equal rights in law, politics, freedom of movement and education in the future constitution.

Libya: Females

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department is taking to identify women's groups and individuals who should participate in any discussion on the future of Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are actively seeking to identify women's groups and individuals and to engage with them on the future of Libya and their involvement in its development. I chaired a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Eye Witness event on 1 July 2011 with non-governmental organisations and women from both Libya and Tunisia, at which there was discussion of specific issues faced by women in those countries and consideration of the future. We are following up on that event.

Libya: UN Resolutions

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on developing a country-specific action plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 for Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have regular discussions on a wide range of issues with the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC), both bilaterally and through the Libya Contact Group. These discussions include their ‘road map’ and stabilisation plan for the future of Libya. We are discussing the role of women with the NTC Executive representative for women, Dr Salwa al-Daghaili, focussing particularly on how that role is defined in the NTC stabilisation plan, and how women’s rights are protected in the NTC’s Constitutional Declaration.
	The UK Government National Action Plan (NAP) on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Women, Peace and Security was revised in November 2010 and contains three pilot bilateral country plans for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Nepal. The NAP is a changing document and will be reviewed in October. A report will be produced and presented to Parliament through a ministerial statement.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 14 June 2011 regarding Mr S. Singh.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) replied to the right hon. Member's letter of 14 June on 21 July.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to secure negotiations for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Alistair Burt: We continue to push hard for a return to negotiations on the basis agreed by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and President Obama: borders based on 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps; security for Israel; and the right for Palestinians to govern themselves in a sovereign and contiguous state. We are working hard with our international partners for a return to negotiations on this basis.
	Failure to return to negotiations now puts at risk the long-term prospects for a solution and, in the short term, will leave the international community facing difficult choices come September in the UN. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians can afford to let the opportunity for peace slip further from their grasp.

Palestinians: British Nationals Abroad

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Israeli Government officials concerning the passage of UK citizens to and from Palestine.

Alistair Burt: The Government extend consular assistance to British nationals whenever appropriate.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not make general representations on another country’s immigration policies or procedures. The Israeli immigration officials are under no obligation to explain their decisions to us and, as mentioned in our travel advice, they have the right to refuse entry to anyone they wish. The UK’s immigration authority is similarly protected.
	We are aware of one case in which a British national was asked to sign an undertaking on arrival in Tel Aviv that he would not travel to the west bank without the express permission of the Israeli military commander. In this instance, we determined it was not appropriate to raise this incident with the Israeli authorities at the time. We have not had any further reports of British nationals being asked to sign such an undertaking. Were this to become a common occurrence, we would discuss such a policy with the appropriate Israeli authorities.
	If British nations plan to travel to Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories, we advise them to read through the travel advice on the FCO’s website, which is available at the follow link;
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/israel-occupied
	Those travelling to the Occupied Palestinian Territories may also obtain further information from the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem before travel.

Palestinians: Detainees

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli Government to ensure that its treatment of Palestinian children in detention in Israeli jails complies with UN guidelines and international standards.

Alistair Burt: The UK remains concerned about the number of children currently being held in Israeli prisons. We raise our concerns with the Israeli Government about the application of due process and the treatment of Palestinian detainees, including where children are involved, on a frequent basis.
	Most recently our ambassador to Israel has raised this issue with the Israeli Ministry of Justice and I raised this during my visit to the region. Our ambassador has also raised the issue of Israel's treatment of Palestinian children with Education Minister Saar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Principal Legal Adviser Daniel Taub.
	The hon. Member may be interested to hear that alongside our existing projects, our consulate general in Jerusalem has recently secured funding to fund the UK Bar Committee for Human Rights to come to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in September 2011 to research a report about the treatment of children arrested and detained in the Israeli military court system.
	We shall continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities and issue statements when appropriate.

Palestinians: United Nations

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on discussions with his European counterparts on reaching a common European position on UN membership for a Palestinian state.

Alistair Burt: We discuss the Middle East Peace Process regularly at ministerial and official level with EU Partners. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve a lasting solution that delivers a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel at peace with its neighbours is through a negotiated solution. The EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of July 2011 set out the European policy on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and its hopes for a future Palestinian state.
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/123910.pdf
	As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), said to the house on 19 July 2011, Official  Report, columns 781-83, whatever happens in September, we must remember that to have a truly viable Palestinian state in control of its own territory, it is necessary to arrive at that by negotiation. We have reserved our position on the question of recognition. The Secretary of State discussed it again with European Union colleagues in Brussels recently, and have all agreed that we will reserve our position, partly because it gives us some leverage over both Israelis and the Palestinians as we urge them back into talks in the coming weeks and months. That is our focus at the moment.

Religious Freedom

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the conclusions were of the recent Wilton Park conference on religious freedoms across the world.

Jeremy Browne: The conference, entitled “Promoting Religious Freedom Around the World”, was attended by a range of national and international religious leaders, non-governmental organisations, academics, parliamentarians and members of the Foreign Secretary's Advisory Group on Human Rights. The conference looked at the main theological, cultural, societal and political drivers behind religious intolerance and persecution. Separate working groups looked at the issues of: legal recognition of religions; public manifestation of religions; apostasy and conversion; and blasphemy.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are currently looking at how to strengthen our freedom of religion or belief policy. The conference identified a number of ideas that will now be taken forward in this review, including strengthening the right to freedom of religion or belief in bilateral human rights strategies and developing our engagement with a range of religious leaders. Wilton Park will separately be issuing a summary of the conference, which will be published shortly at:
	http://www.wiltonpark.org.uk

Saudi Arabia: Armed Forces

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any representations to the government of Saudi Arabia on (a) the deployment in Bahrain of its military forces and (b) the date by which such forces will be removed.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Saudi Foreign Minister met in London on 22 March 2011 and had a constructive discussion on Bahrain. The Secretary of State and Prince Saud agreed that the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) forces, who are in Bahrain at the legitimate invitation of the Bahraini Government, should work to create the right conditions for a successful dialogue.
	We have made it clear to the Bahraini Government that the civil rights of peaceful opposition figures, the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be respected. We also expect it to meet all its human rights obligations by ensuring its citizens can exercise the universal human rights and freedoms to which they are entitled and to which it has committed.
	I have not discussed a timetable for withdrawal of the GCC Peninsula Shield Forces from Bahrain with Prince Saud or the Bahraini Government. However, the vast majority of the Saudi Arabian National Guard contribution has now withdrawn from Bahrain, without incident.

South Sudan

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is providing to the UN mission in South Sudan.

Henry Bellingham: We worked closely with partners in the UN Security Council to ensure that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was given a Chapter VII mandate and that an adequate number of troops were authorised. UNMISS will consist of up to 7,000 troops and 900 civilian police, as recommended by the UN Secretary-General. We will actively work to support the mandate and have encouraged the Government of South Sudan to do the same. The budget for UNMISS has yet to be agreed. When it is, the UK will contribute just over 8% of the total, as it does for all UN peacekeeping missions.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on judicial independence in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports of increasing politicisation of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. There are persistent allegations that prominent politicians are able to influence the judicial process.
	Our high commission in Sri Lanka continue to monitor police and judicial action on high-profile cases, and raise our concerns with the Sri Lankan Government. We regularly encourage the Sri Lankan Government to strengthen democratic checks and balances, including with respect to the judiciary.
	Our high commission funded a local civil society organisation to support the Sri Lankan Ministry of Justice's running of mediation boards at a local level throughout 2010. These boards provided an alternative method of resolving minor local disagreements without requiring complainants to go through an expensive legal process. Some 60% of cases referred to the mediation boards were resolved successfully.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: There are no current plans for ministerial visits to Sri Lanka. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) most recently visited Sri Lanka in July 2011, and I visited Colombo and Jaffna in February 2011.

Sri Lanka: Arrests

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest of a British citizen in July 2011 in Sri Lanka in relation to a Channel 4 programme.

Alistair Burt: Officials at our high commission in Sri Lanka provided consular assistance to the British national referred to by my hon. Friend, following notification on 5 July 2011 of his detention in Sri Lanka. This included visiting him to ensure that his welfare needs were being met and that he was being treated in line with internationally accepted standards. Consular officials also maintained regular contact with his family in the UK. He was released without charge on 2 August 2011.

Surveillance

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) voice, (b) email and (c) web interceptions were carried out by agencies for which he is responsible in each month of the year to June 2011.

Alistair Burt: It is the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security and intelligence matters.

Taiwan: EU External Relations

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on an economic co-operation agreement between the EU and Taiwan.

David Lidington: We value the strong trade links we have with Taiwan and are keen to enhance them. The Government support active consideration of practical measures to strengthen trade between the EU and Taiwan.

Telephone Answering Machines: Surveillance

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is in relation to the interception of voicemail by agencies for which he is responsible.

Alistair Burt: Intercept of communications, including voicemail, is governed in accordance with relevant legislation (predominantly the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000) and oversight is provided by the Rt. Hon. Sir Paul Kennedy, the Interception of Communications Commissioner (IoCC), who reports annually to Parliament. The most recent annual report by the IoCC was laid before Parliament on 30 June this year.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of Morocco, (b) Government of Algeria and (c) United Nations on the future governance and security of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) met his Moroccan counterpart, Taieb Fassi Fihri, on 10 March 2011 where they discussed a range of issues including the future of Western Sahara. I visited both Morocco and Algeria in April this year where I raised the need for a political solution to the disputed territory's status in the context of April's United Nations Security Council negotiations on MINURSO's operations. Our ambassadors to Morocco and Algeria also discuss Western Sahara at a senior level with Moroccan and Algerian authorities.
	UK officials at the UN meet regularly with other members of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara to discuss the future of Western Sahara. They are also in contact with the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Ambassador Christopher Ross and the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Ambassador Ross last briefed the Group of Friends on 27 July 2011. There are no plans to make a statement at this time.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the economic and political situation in Zimbabwe.

Henry Bellingham: There has been relatively little further progress on the ground since the last assessment I provided on this matter to you on 9 February 2011, Official Report, column 261W.
	However, I am encouraged that South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have continued to work with the Zimbabwean parties to ensure the necessary reforms are completed so that elections, when held, do not see a repeat of the violence of 2008. So far, an agreed roadmap towards such elections has not appeared. But as confirmed at last week's SADC summit in Luanda, it remains the intended outcome of this work.
	Until the conditions have been created for credible and properly monitored elections, the Inclusive Government continue to offer the most credible means of transforming Zimbabwe and we continue to encourage the whole Government to show a clear commitment to the reforms that the Zimbabwean people demanded in March 2008.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many senior civil servants in the Government Equalities Office at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each year since the Office's inception; what consultancy agreements the office had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised the Office in each such year.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has neither employed any senior civil servants who worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment, nor contracted any consultancy agreements with those firms, since its creation as a separate Department in October 2007.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many meetings she has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: The Minister for Women and Equalities meets with hon. Members on a regular basis, as part of the ongoing commitment to the work of the coalition Government. The Government Equalities Office is part of the Home Office and, as such, we have provided the figures for ministerial meetings across the whole Home Office.
	Conservative: 41
	Labour: 9
	Liberal Democrats: 4.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) she and (b) officials of the Government Equalities Office have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party.

Lynne Featherstone: No records are held of meeting requests that have been declined by either a Minister directly or by the Department on their behalf. There is currently no intention to keep such records.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Trade Unions

Dominic Raab: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many staff at the Equality and Human Rights Commission were entitled to work (a) full-time as trade union representatives and (b) part-time on trade union activities in the latest period for which figures are available; how many such staff received a salary greater than £25,900 per year; and what the total cost to the public purse was of employing such staff on such duties.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 13 July 2011
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission (The Commission) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
	The Commission has:
	(a) One member of staff currently working as a full-time trade union representative, funded by the Commission for three days per week and by the relevant trade union for two days per week; and
	(b) No staff working part-time on trade union activities.
	No member of staff working as a trade union representative receives a salary greater than £25,900.
	The cost of employing the full-time member of staff on trade union duties is £24,960 annual salary plus £7,558 on costs comprising pension payments and national insurance contributions.
	The total cost to the public purse is therefore £32,518.

Government Equalities Office

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party has been refused by (a) a Minister in the Government Equalities Office (GEO) directly and (b) the GEO on behalf of a Minister since May 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: No records are held of meeting requests that have been declined by either a Minister directly or by the Government Equalities Office on their behalf.

Third Sector

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation visited by Ministers in the Government Equalities Office since 12 May 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 19 July 2011
	Since May 2010 the Minister for Women and Equalities, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has visited the following charitable or voluntary organisations:
	Croydon Rape Crisis Centre
	Haven Sexual Assault Referral Centre based at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel
	I have visited the following organisations:
	Action Aid
	Anawim Women's Community Project
	Lesbian and Gay Foundation
	Link (British transport lesbian gay and transgender support network)
	Manchester Action on Street Health
	National Stalking Helpline
	Solace
	Sparkle
	Stop Hate
	Survivors Manchester
	Women for Women
	Women's Business Forum
	Working Mums.

DEFENCE

3 Commando Brigade

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1215, on French and UK armed forces, what plans he has for the future of 3 Commando Brigade.

Nick Harvey: Decisions taken in the Strategic Defence and Security Review will reduce the Royal Marines' headcount by around 650 posts from its existing level of around 7,200 (a lower percentage cut than the Army, Navy or RAF are now facing) but these posts are not being taken from the 3 Commando Brigade headcount. The Brigade will certainly continue to exist and it will continue to contain the Brigade Headquarters and three commando groups plus supporting elements.
	What has changed is the planned scale of advanced theatre entry, where we no longer plan to be able to land the full Brigade ashore early and sustain it from the sea, but rather to restrict this advanced capability to one commando group—around 1,800 personnel, which will be maintained at high readiness.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2011, Official Report, column 52W, on unmanned air vehicles, what information his Department provided to (a) the Prime Minister and (b) the Cabinet Office in advance of the Prime Minister's statement in December 2010 that over the previous 29 months the UK's drone fleet had killed 124 insurgents in Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: holding answer 19 July 2011
	I am not aware that during the Prime Minister's visit to Afghanistan in December 2010 he made any reference to the number of insurgents killed by UK drones. Comprehensive figures are not recorded because of the immense difficulty and risks that would be involved in collecting robust data. Prior to the visit the Ministry of Defence briefed on the agreement to double the UK's Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft System capability and the state of the military campaign.

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers from other Government departments (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department met in relation to the RAF basing review; and what the date was of each such meeting.

Liam Fox: I meet with fellow Ministers from other Government Departments on a regular basis, including weekly at Cabinet, and I have discussed the Defence basing review with a number of them. I also discussed the basing review on a number of occasions with ministerial colleagues in the Ministry of Defence, and the Scottish Government including the First Minister for Scotland.

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the training value per flying hour of aircraft stationed at (a) RAF Leuchars and (b) RAF Lossiemouth; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: All RAF flying sorties in the UK can provide a number of training opportunities such as aircraft handling or combat capability. The point of origin does not therefore determine the training value of the sortie.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the jet blast deflectors for the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft carriers have been redesigned for the Joint Strike Fighter-C variant.

Peter Luff: The design of Jet Blast Deflectors is one of the factors being considered as part of our Carrier Variant (CV) conversion investigations, which are expected to conclude in late 2012.
	The US is currently trialling their Jet Blast Deflector design with the CV Joint Strike Fighter to ensure compatibility; we will learn from their results.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers will be equipped with electro-magnetic catapults and traps.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1247W to the right hon. Member for Coventry North East (Mr Ainsworth).

Armed Forces: Alcoholic Drinks

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to address alcohol abuse among members and ex-members of the armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: The armed forces run robust programmes designed to raise awareness and promote the message of sensible drinking. These programmes address all serving personnel; there are also additional measures in place to advise Commanding Officers of the potential danger to their people.
	Individual consumption limits and the sale of alcohol are regulated, particularly, but not only, when personnel are serving operationally. These controls are supported by disciplinary measures.
	Individuals identified as being at risk receive counselling and welfare support. More serious cases are treated through specialist medical and psychological treatment and rehabilitation, including where appropriate as in-patients.
	The Services are developing holistic programmes as part of an overarching healthy lifestyle strategy, including firm guidance on avoiding alcohol abuse and the encouragement of sensible drinking.
	When a Serviceman or woman leaves the armed forces they are given a range of literature including material on alcohol and drug awareness and are able to draw on the support of the Veterans Welfare Service for the rest of their lives.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular and (b) volunteer reserves of each rank in each of the armed forces were stationed in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) overseas in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Robathan: Information for regular armed forces personnel, by service, rank, and geographical area will be placed in the Library of the House. This information is not available before 2007, as prior to the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration such data was not held. The information for reserve personnel is not held in the format requested.

Armed Forces: Food

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater use of UK-based food suppliers to provide supplies for the armed forces.

Peter Luff: European Union procurement legislation precludes public bodies from discriminating in favour of domestic food suppliers. However, Ministry of Defence officials are involved in a number of initiatives to support the British farming community and increase the volume of British produce purchased, by working with, for example, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Red Meat Industry Forum and British farming industry representatives.
	The percentage of UK-produced goods fluctuates as a result of seasonality and value for money incentives. Some products are manufactured using a number of ingredients from various countries including the UK while others, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, are sourced seasonally from a variety of countries.

Armed Forces: Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Joint Air Strike Fighter to be available for use by the armed forces.

Peter Luff: While no specific in service date has been set for the UK Joint Combat Aircraft, we will be able to deploy the aircraft from the carrier by 2020.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many suicides among service personnel there have been in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: The following table lists those deaths between 2000 and 2010 (the latest date for which data is available) for coroner confirmed suicides or open verdict deaths.
	
		
			  Confirmed suicides or open verdict 
			 2000 36 
			 2001 16 
			 2002 15 
			 2003 25 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 22 
			 2006 11 
			 2007 10 
			 2008 9 
			 2009 10 
			 2010 5

BAE Systems

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to BAE Systems in each financial year since 2005-06.

Peter Luff: Payments made by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to BAE Systems since 2005-06 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Payments to BAE Systems 
			  £ billion 
			 2005-06 2.4 
			 2006-07 2.7 
			 2007-08 3.0 
			 2008-09 3.3 
			 2009-10 3.9 
			 2010-11 3.3 
			 Note: Figures are at current prices and exclude VAT. 
		
	
	The figure for 2010-11 is provisional and will be finalised in time for the publication of UK Defence Statistics in late September.
	The payments reported have been extracted from the MOD's central contracts database on which is recorded the majority (about 95%) of all MOD payments. Payments not processed centrally are not included and may have been made on behalf of other Government Departments, by the MOD's Trading Funds and Executive non-departmental bodies (which lie outside the MOD's accounting boundary), locally by the Department, through third parties such as prime contractors or other Government Departments and in relation to collaborative projects where the payments are made through international procurement agencies or overseas governments.
	From 2005-06, the individual subsidiaries and joint ventures relating to BAE Systems have been reproduced from the corporate structures as published in Table 1.17a of UK Defence Statistics.

Cadet Forces: Finance

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much his Department allocated to the Air Training Corps in 2009-10; and how much he plans to allocate to it in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13;
	(2)  how much his Department allocated to the Army Cadet Force in 2009-10; and how much he plans to allocate to it in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13;
	(3)  how much his Department allocated to the Sea Cadets in 2009-10; and how much he plans to allocate to it in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

Andrew Robathan: The funding allocated to the Cadet forces in each of the years requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  FY 2009-10 FY 2011-12 FY 2012-13 
			 Sea Cadet Corps 9.290 9.215 9.445 
			 Army Cadet Force 47.133 48.636 49.852 
			 Air Training Corps 21.910 22.676 22.569 
		
	
	The figures for the Army and Air Cadet forces for financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 are the latest forecasts for planning purposes and may alter in future financial planning rounds. The Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) is not part of the Royal Navy or the Ministry of Defence, although funding support is given in the form of a grant in aid to the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC). Each SCC unit is an independent charity but becomes a member of the Sea Cadet Corps by an act of affiliation with the MSSC, itself a charitable body.

Chief of the Defence Staff: Travel

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of travel by the (a) Chief of the Defence Staff and (b) Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in the last 12 months.

Liam Fox: Since 1 July 2010, £50,390.91 and £9,581.94 has been spent on official travel by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Vice Chief of Defence Staff respectively.

Courts Martial

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the utilisation rate was of the No. 2 courts at the Courts Martial centres at (a) Bulford and (b) Catterick garrison in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The utilisation rate, as a proportion of court time available, of the No. 2 courts at the military court centres at Bulford and Catterick during the period 11 January to 17 December 2010 was 4% and 9.2% respectively.
	It should be noted that the No. 2 courts are smaller than the primary courts at each site. They were designed to be used when the primary courts reach full capacity and generally only for shorter proceedings such as preliminary or sentencing hearings.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to develop facilities for members of the armed forces at the Sovereign base areas on Cyprus.

Andrew Robathan: A £42 million project to build 628 new single living spaces and refurbish two single living blocks at Episkopi and Akrotiri was completed last month. Construction of 269 replacement service families' accommodation, costing £75 million, is due to be completed at Akrotiri by 2016. Decompression facilities are kept under constant review, with the most recent developments being a welfare facility providing accommodation, a briefing area, gym, wi-fi, bar and stage. We are considering further areas where amenities can be enhanced for troops returning from operations. As with all projects these plans are subject to funding. There are also a number of non-publicly funded amenities available for the use of members of the armed forces in Cyprus.

Departmental Assets

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the monetary value of material assets ordered by his Department but which could not be delivered to the end user because of inadequate labelling in the latest period for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: In July 2011 assets to the value of £795,000 were received by the Ministry of Defence that will require corrections to the labelling before delivery to the end user. £123,000 worth had already been resolved as at 17 August 2011.

Departmental Assets

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means his Department identifies the location of its assets; and whether he plans to change the way his Department manages information on the location of its assets.

Peter Luff: Assets recorded on the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s non-current (fixed) asset register or on departmental inventory supply systems have an indicator which provides location information.
	The MOD has a number of processes in place to confirm the location of its assets including: an annual physical verification of assets with a value in excess of £100,000; an annual census of land managed equipment and engineering assets; and a rolling four year stocktaking programme.
	The Department is currently half way through an extensive improvement programme which aims to implement recommendations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General, regarding the management of certain asset and inventory items. This includes significant investment in IT systems which will help the Department to manage information on asset location more effectively.

Departmental Assets

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) land, (b) property and (c) other assets his Department has sold since 2010; and how much it received for each sale.

Andrew Robathan: A list detailing the land and property sold by the Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom between January 2010 and July 2011, achieving gross sale proceeds in excess of £70 million, will be placed in the Library of the House. The list does not give details of individual recent site sales receipts, as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
	The Disposal Services Authority (DSA) achieved £84 million in gross sales during 2010-11. This includes £4 million of repayment sales generated through the sale of stock items to other Governments holding the same type of equipment. Information of all the sales is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on repairs and maintenance of its properties in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence spend on repair and maintenance is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Amount spent (£ million) 
			 2007-08 951 
			 2008-09 989 
			 2009-10 1,027 
		
	
	These figures include expenditure on housing, other living accommodation, office accommodation, grounds maintenance and the technical estate. This does not include expenditure on the maintenance of property provided through private finance initiatives where amounts cannot be separately identified from other elements of the service charge.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year.

Andrew Robathan: Only one member of the senior civil service was recruited from these companies in the period for which information is requested. The individual joined the Department in 2007 from KPMG as an SCS Pay Band 1 on a fixed term appointment following an open competition. All appointments to the civil service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition in accordance with the Recruitment Principles laid down by the Civil Service Commission.
	Central records show that over the past four years the Department has let consultancy contracts with these companies as follows:
	
		
			  Number of contracts let—financial year 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 6 7 10 4 
			 Ernst & Young 1 2 0 1 
			 Deloitte 8 7 18 10 
			 KPMG 2 9 1 3 
		
	
	Contracts were for external assistance and covered a wide range of subject matter reflecting the breadth of defence business. Areas included: Assistance with the Head Office Streamlining programme, the Logistics Sub-strategy for Defence, refinancing of Strategic Sea Lift and Information Systems Security.
	The number of consultants deployed on contracts for external assistance is a commercial judgment for the contractor as we contract with consultancy companies to deliver a specific output at an agreed price rather than for a set number of personnel.

Departmental Contracts

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which suppliers have maintenance contracts with his Department; and what the monetary value is of each such contract.

Peter Luff: The information is not held in a format which allows for distinction between maintenance suppliers and other suppliers, nor, therefore, is the value of each maintenance contract held.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Andrew Robathan: During June 2011, the Ministry of Defence received 458 pieces of parliamentary correspondence from hon. Members, excluding requests submitted under the Freedom of Information Act.

Departmental Land

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) name, (b) location and (c) current market value is of all land his Department owns.

Andrew Robathan: Details of all Ministry of Defence land holdings with asset valuation over £1 million, including sites in disposal, can be found in Chapter Seven of the National Asset Register, last published by HM Treasury in 2007:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm70/7022/7022.pdf
	The National Asset Register is on a historic replacement cost basis, not market value. Details of all property with asset valuation below £1 million, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	We do not routinely assess the current market value of all our estate because the estimated receipts will depend on market conditions and other factors at the time of sale. Where pre-sale valuations have been obtained, these are regarded as commercially confidential and are thus not released ahead of the sale in case they influence the market.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department have been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since the website's inception.

Peter Luff: Since 1 April 2011 all of the Ministry of Defence's eligible contract opportunities have been advertised on Contracts Finder.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what expenditure on equipment his Department is committed over the next 15 years; and with whom the commitments have been entered into.

Peter Luff: The Department has calculated its contractual commitments in respect of defence equipment procurement (excluding contracts for equipment support) at some £23 billion over the next ten years (2012-13 to 2021-22). The information beyond 10 years and a detailed breakdown of the contractors with whom commitments have been entered into could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on MOD contracts let after 1 January 2011 is available online via the pan-Government Contracts Finder website at:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/

Departmental Security

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for future security provision for his Department's sites.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence keeps its policies and requirements for guarding and civil policing under regular review. We continue to attach very high importance to safeguarding our people, information and assets; and we will therefore continue to maintain effective and proportionate levels of security at all of our sites.

Diamond Jubilee 2012: Medals

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on morale of members of the armed forces ineligible to receive a Diamond Jubilee Medal because they will have served for less than five full calendar years on 6 February 2012;
	(2)  for what reason members of the armed forces who will have served for less than five full calendar years on 6 February 2012 are not eligible for the award of the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Andrew Robathan: No assessment has been made on the potential effect on morale of members of the armed forces ineligible to receive the commemorative Diamond Jubilee Medal.
	The Department for Culture, Olympics, Media, and Sport have announced that the criteria of five years service on 6 February 2012 had been approved by Her Majesty the Queen. This requirement is consistent with the approach used in 2002 when determining eligibility for the Golden Jubilee Medal, and with other key front line services such as the prison service, the police, and fire and rescue services.

European Fighter Aircraft

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost implications of the change in timetable of the development programme for the Typhoon aircraft to enable weapons capabilities.

Peter Luff: The Typhoon future capabilities programme is planned to provide enhancements to Typhoon in the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. The first stage in the development programme for Typhoon's new weapons capabilities is the future capability programme contract, which was signed in 2007. Further weapons upgrades are under consideration to enable Typhoon to employ a greater variety of air-to-ground munitions in future. Project information about Typhoon, including cost and time, is available in the Major Projects Report. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

European Fighter Aircraft

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of transferring the Typhoon force from RAF Leuchars to RAF Lossiemouth;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of operating the Typhoon Force from (a) RAF Lossiemouth and (b) RAF Leuchars over a 25-year period; whether his Department revised its estimate of such costs during the basing review process; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The estimated relative cost of operating the Typhoon Force from RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars over a 25 year period, including the costs of transferring from Leuchars to Lossiemouth, is approximately £604 million and £565 million respectively. The costs were refined and updated during the course of the basing review, as is usual in such a process. They will be refined further during detailed planning for the implementation of the Defence basing decisions.
	In taking these decisions, the balance of financial advantage between Leuchars or Lossiemouth as RAF bases was outweighed by wider Defence considerations. These included the necessity to establish a coherent plan for basing the Army following its return from Germany and the need to realise receipts by disposing of high value estate, including in Edinburgh, while ensuring the build-up of the Typhoon force.

European Union: Medals

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military service personnel have received EU service medals to date.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ex-servicemen: Prisoners

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ex-services personnel are in prison custody; and what proportion of the total prison population that figure represents.

Andrew Robathan: We currently estimate that there are around 3,000 former service personnel in prison custody, representing some 3.5% of the total prison population. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Lord Astor of Hever, to the noble Baroness, Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen, in another place on 14 July 2011, Official Report, column WA 214, regarding the Howard League's Independent Inquiry into Former Armed Service Personnel in Prison.

Germany: Armed Forces

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces who are based in Germany are family units; and how many live in accommodation outside their base.

Nick Harvey: As of 31 March 2011, 9,122 service family accommodation properties in Germany were occupied.
	Information on family units and how many members of the armed forces live in accommodation outside the base is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Germany: Armed Forces

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 643, on defence transformation, what type of accommodation service personnel based in Germany will be moved into by 2015.

Nick Harvey: Service personnel are provided with accommodation in accordance with the entitlements set out in the Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, published as Joint Service Publication 464, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
	It is too early to say at this time exactly which bases personnel currently based in Germany may be moved to, or what type of accommodation may be required.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the (a) expenditure made and (b) further expenditure required from the public purse to enable the Joint Strike Fighter to become available.

Peter Luff: The total expenditure undertaken on the Joint Strike Fighter is £1,825 million. The Ministry of Defence does not publish estimates of the costs of programmes as to do so would prejudice commercial interests.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the costs of the Joint Strike Fighter project has been provided by his Department.

Peter Luff: The United Kingdom has spent £1,825 million to date on the Joint Strike Fighter. All of this spend has come from the Ministry of Defence budget.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether non-US companies will be eligible to tender for maintenance contracts for the joint strike fighter following its delivery.

Peter Luff: The terms of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding are very clear in that all JSF industrial work, whether production or maintenance and support, will be awarded to companies providing a competitive best value bid, regardless of, nationality. UK companies have already won JSF production contracts worth 15% by value of the work on each aircraft and are therefore well placed to win future maintenance and support work.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to send (a) a Type 45 destroyer and (b) HMS Illustrious to aid in Operation Ellamy.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews the plans for our continuing naval support to Operation Ellamy. We are considering a number of options and nothing has been finalised at this time.

Libya: Military Aircrafts

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fast jet aircraft deployed in Libya are unusable due to a lack of parts or supplies.

Peter Luff: There are currently six Typhoons and 16 Tornados deployed to Italy in support of operations in Libya. Since current operations commenced and up to 15 August 2011, our fast jets have not had to cancel any of their planned sorties due to a lack of parts or supplies.
	At any given time, it may be necessary to withdraw aircraft from operations in order to carry out routine maintenance and mandated flight checks. However, we continue to conduct operations at a high tempo, consistent with our commitment to meeting NATO's mission objectives. Typhoon aircraft have exceeded expectations of serviceability allowing the UK to play a key part in the NATO operations protecting the civilian population of Libya. Our ability to maintain aircraft availability is attributable to the professionalism of our service personnel and civilian support staff, together with robust air and road supply lines from the UK.

Libya: UN Resolutions

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the implementation of UN Security Resolution 1325 in Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and other ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
	The United Kingdom has a National Action Plan (NAP), owned jointly by the Ministry of Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Department for International Development, for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR1325).
	The NAP on UNSCR1325 Women, Peace and Security was revised in November 2010.
	The UK has regular discussions with the Libyan National Transitional Council both bilaterally and through the Libya Contact Group. This includes their stabilisation plan and draft constitution for the future of all Libyan people.

Military Aircraft: Training

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will issue the Request for Proposals for the UK Military Flying Training Systems; what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the contract; and where the training will take place for each aircraft type.

Peter Luff: Ascent Flight Training, the Ministry of Defence's training system partner, is due to issue the detailed request for proposals to continue the aircraft service provision competition, as part of the UK Military Flying Training System programme, in December 2011. I am withholding the information on the estimated value of the contract as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. Until the competition is complete, I cannot confirm where the training for each aircraft type will take place.

Military Bases: Crime

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criminal injuries compensation is available to British citizens who are the victims of crime committed by other British citizens at UK military bases overseas.

Andrew Robathan: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), an agency of the Ministry of Justice, assists UK residents to apply for compensation if they were injured because of a criminal injury in another European Union country on or after 1 July 2005. This assistance includes the provision of information about the system of compensation in the country where they were injured; application forms; help with any other documents they might have to provide; help sending completed forms to the right place; and advice if they are asked for further information.
	The Ministry of Defence operates a non-statutory scheme, the Criminal Injuries Compensation (Overseas) Scheme (CIC(O)), which pays compensation to service personnel and their accompanying dependants who are based overseas who are the innocent victims of crimes of violence. CIC(O) is a scheme of last resort and as such claimants are eligible only if no other scheme offers compensation.

Military Bases: Edinburgh

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the monetary value of (a) Craigiehall, (b) Dreghorn and (c) Redford barracks in Edinburgh.

Andrew Robathan: The estimated receipts for these sites will depend on market conditions and other factors at the time of sale (by 2014-15 at the latest). Where pre-sale valuations are obtained, these are regarded as commercially confidential and are not released ahead of the sale as they could influence the market.

Military Bases: Edinburgh

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likelihood of achieving a favourable sale price for Craigiehall Camp.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence must sell its surplus estate in accordance with Treasury guidelines which require it to get the best price reasonably obtainable (i.e. market value) normally through open competition—unless it is required by other public bodies (e.g. Scottish Government) or there are former owner (Crichel Down) considerations.
	The actual value will be determined by the market at the time of sale which is not due until 2014-15.

Military Bases: Edinburgh

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect on local businesses of the closure of (a) Craigiehall, (b) Dreghorn and (c) Redford bases.

Andrew Robathan: As the Secretary of State said in his written ministerial statement on basing on 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 66-70WS, we:
	“recognised that Defence decisions have broader regional, economic and social consequences”.
	However, we have been very clear and consistent throughout the basing review that the paramount criteria must be what makes overall sense for Defence. We will make more efficient use of the existing Defence estate by using bases that are otherwise underused, such as Kirknewton, and realising receipts from high-value sites, such as Dreghorn, Craigiehall and Redford Barracks. It makes military and financial sense to consolidate on fewer, larger sites. But our rebasing plan may, regrettably, mean a reduction in Defence-related economic activity for some communities and local businesses. We will continue to consult with the Scottish Secretary, the Scottish Government and other partners to see how any harmful socio-economic impacts that may result might be minimised, including in Edinburgh.

Military Bases: Edinburgh

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans his Department has made for the redeployment of army personnel from (a) Craigiehall, (b) Dreghorn and (c) Redford bases;
	(2)  how many of the army personnel at (a) Craigiehall, (b) Dreghorn and (c) Redford he expects to be made redundant;
	(3)  when his Department notified army personnel at (a) Craigiehall, (b) Dreghorn and (c) Redford of its intention to close each base.

Andrew Robathan: There will be no military redundancies as a direct result of the closure of Craigiehall, Dreghorn and Redford Barracks. However, it is possible that some military personnel currently stationed at these locations may be made redundant under the Army Redundancy Programme, which concludes in 2015. Military personnel serving in Craigiehall, Dreghorn and Redford will be posted to other units in accordance with the usual military postings procedure.
	The Ministry of Defence notified Army personnel at each of the three bases of its intention to close each base as soon as was practicably possible following the announcement to the House on 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 643-45, by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox).

Military Bases: Edinburgh

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of army personnel housing at (a) Dreghorn and (b) Redford his Department (i) owns and (ii) rents.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently holds 546 Service Family Accommodation properties in Edinburgh to accommodate personnel and their families based at various units. Of this total, 244 properties are located at Dreghorn, 224 at Redford, and 78 at South Queensferry.
	The MOD owns all but 103 of the properties in Edinburgh. These are provided under a private finance initiative agreement with Bannockburn Homes Ltd with 43 at Dreghorn and 60 at Redford.
	There is currently no Substitute Service Families Accommodation (that is, privately rented accommodation) in Edinburgh.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will visit Kirknewton to discuss the proposed army base with the hon. Member for Livingston and local residents;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with (a) West Lothian Council and (b) the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the proposed army base at Kirknewton.

Andrew Robathan: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), discussed the Basing Review with Ministers in the Scotland Office and the Scottish Government, including the First Minister. These discussions took into account the proposed creation of an Army base at Kirknewton. As he said in his written ministerial statement of 18 July 2011,
	Official Report,
	columns 66-70WS, we will now begin the process of detailed planning and the appropriate and necessary engagement with the affected local authorities, including the above councils.
	While there are no plans at present for the Defence Secretary to visit Kirknewton, we believe it is important that Defence Ministers regularly visit defence sites across the United Kingdom, including in Scotland, and we will continue to look for opportunities to do so.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the proposed army base at Kirknewton is expected to become fully operational;
	(2)  how many troops will be stationed at the proposed army base at Kirknewton once it is fully operational;
	(3)  when he plans to publish further details of the timetable for establishing an army base at Kirknewton.

Nick Harvey: The announcement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), on 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 643-45, set out our strategic long-term direction on the structure of the Army and its basing requirements across the United Kingdom. Comprehensive planning work is now under way to understand and draw up plans for the timing and sequencing of the Army moves.
	It is therefore too early to confirm exact details on timelines and the number of personnel who will be based at Kirknewton.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of establishing an army base at Kirknewton;
	(2)  whether his Department will provide funding to local authorities to upgrade infrastructure around the proposed army base at Kirknewton.

Andrew Robathan: Comprehensive planning work, including a detailed assessment of the investment required to adapt the Kirknewton site is currently under way.
	It would therefore be premature at this stage to comment on provision of central Government funding to the local authorities.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means the local community will be consulted on plans to establish an army base at Kirknewton.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend, the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) on 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 643-66, where he announced that we will now begin the process of detailed planning and the appropriate and necessary engagement with the affected local authorities and communities, including Kirknewton.
	The Defence Infrastructure Organisation will prepare a Sustainability Appraisal (including any environmental assessments required) and a ‘Master Plan’ for the site that will be used as a basis for informal and formal consultation with the officials from the Scottish Government, local authorities and the wider community. This will be followed by formal planning applications and public consultation for the redevelopment of the site. The exact means we will use to consult will be agreed in due course.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of building new barracks at Kirknewton, West Lothian.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence is not able to provide a cost estimate at this time. Occupation of Kirknewton will not begin until 2016-17 and planning will commence later in this financial year.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the (a) local infrastructure of, (b) requirement of school provision in and (c) requirement for school transport in Kirknewton, West Lothian, of the establishment of an army base.

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the (a) local economy and (b) local environment of the proposed army base at Kirknewton.

Andrew Robathan: The Secretary of State's 18 July announcement set out our strategic long-term direction on basing across the United Kingdom. As he said in his written ministerial statement, Official Report, columns 66-70WS), we “recognised that Defence decisions have broader regional, economic and social consequences”.
	Comprehensive planning work is now under way to draw up detailed plans for the future of Kirknewton, which will include an assessment of the likely effect on local infrastructure, school provision and school transport, as well as Kirknewton's broader local economy and environment. This will involve the appropriate and necessary engagement with partners such as the Scottish Government, West Lothian council and the relevant other Government Departments and agencies. We have a shared interest in managing local issues, such as schooling and transport, as effectively as we can for the benefit of both the local community and for our own personnel.

Military Bases: Kirknewton

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors led his Department to select Kirknewton, West Lothian, as a suitable site for a new army base; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each relevant document.

Andrew Robathan: The announcement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), on 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 643-45, set out our strategic long-term direction on basing across the United Kingdom. The intent of the review was to deliver a basing plan that would accommodate the Army units returning from Germany; a geographical footprint that delivered the operational and personnel requirements of multi-role brigades, that made most efficient use of the existing Defence estate by using bases that are otherwise underused such as Kirknewton; and realising receipts from the sale of high-value sites no longer required. Kirknewton is one element of the overall solution we identified that offered best value for money, met these requirements, and will offer the Ministry of Defence flexibility in planning the return of the Army from Germany.

Military Bases: Property Transfer

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any accommodation disposed of by his Department as a result of the basing review will be made available to local authorities for social housing.

Andrew Robathan: It is departmental policy to work closely with the Homes and Communities Agency, local authorities and devolved administrations (including the Scottish Housing Executive) when identifying the strategy for each disposal. Transfers to other public bodies and registered social landlords are made at market value in accordance with Treasury Guidelines.

National Security Council

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role and responsibilities he has in relation to the National Security Council; and what recent contribution he has made to its work.

Liam Fox: I am a member of the National Security Council which meets regularly, in some cases several times a week. I contribute fully to the consideration of the wide-ranging domestic and international security questions tackled by the National Security Council.

Nuclear Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how much of the contract for the Common Missile Compartment design was spent in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and how many jobs have resulted from the contract in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland.

Peter Luff: The United Kingdom participates in a cost sharing agreement with the United States for the design and development of the Common Missile Compartment. In 2008, the US Department of Defense, who are managing this work area, awarded a contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat for the design and development work.
	I understand the company has sub-contracted work to a number of firms based in the United Kingdom but we do not hold the information requested. It is not Government policy to compile statistics related to defence spend on equipment or employment by UK regions.

Property Transfer

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what property his Department has (a) transferred to a local authority, (b) transferred to the social housing sector and (c) sold privately in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Robathan: A copy of the land and property transferred by the Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 financial years to other public bodies, registered social landlords and private purchasers has been placed in the Library of the House. We do not hold records centrally for 2001-02 and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carriers

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason documents supporting the decision to continue the construction of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers have not been provided to the National Audit Office.

Peter Luff: The National Audit Office has acknowledged that they had access to all departmental papers on Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers to inform their recent study on the value for money of Carrier Strike.

RAF Buchan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department disposed of (a) on-base and (b) off-base accommodation following the drawdown and closure of RAF Buchan.

Andrew Robathan: Following the closure of RAF Buchan in 2005, there was an application from a local community group to acquire the domestic site under the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003. The group only bought the playing field. Their application for the domestic site was withdrawn before the sale of accommodation took place. As a result, the surplus accommodation was sold on the open market between 2005 and 2008.

RAF Leuchars

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 644WS, on defence transformation, what timetable is in place for (a) the draw down of the Typhoon force from RAF Leuchars and (b) the arrival of army units and a formation headquarters.

Nick Harvey: As the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), made clear in his announcement on 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 66-70WS, further work will be done to draw-up individual project plans and determine the timing and sequencing of the Army moves. Therefore, while our aim is to move a headquarters to Leuchars before 2015 with two major units thereafter, in 2015-17, I am unable to provide a more detailed programme for Leuchars at this stage.
	Having decided that we will build up the Typhoon force at Lossiemouth, we will start preparing the infrastructure at Lossiemouth to receive the Typhoon force straight away. The build-up will take place over time and Leuchars will remain a working RAF base until 2014. So we hope to ensure continuity of the military presence in Fife, and minimise the impact on the local economy of these changes.

RAF Leuchars

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 41W, on RAF Leuchars, if he will place in the Library the assessment of the performance of the RAF Leuchars Quick Reaction Alert Force.

Nick Harvey: I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability or effectiveness of the armed forces.

RAF Leuchars

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many private contractors are employed at RAF Leuchars on the delivery of Typhoon operations.

Nick Harvey: As at 20 July 2011, there were 25 personnel from four contractors employed in direct support of Typhoon operations at RAF Leuchars.

Type 26 Frigates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent (a) discussions he has had and (b) expressions of interest he has received from other countries on the procurement of the Global Combat Ship.

Gerald Howarth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), gave on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 867W, to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs Moon).

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the performance of current unmanned combat air vehicles; and for what reasons it is proposed to continue with the future unmanned combat air vehicle project.

Peter Luff: Analysis to date has indicated that Unmanned Combat Air Systems (UCAS), in combination with manned systems, could form part of a cost effective solution for future air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles. Ongoing research is focused on developing concepts and assessing their performance with a view to shaping a future UCAS programme. Such work includes the Taranis technology demonstrator, which the Ministry of Defence is developing in partnership with a BAE Systems-led industry team.

War Memorials

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department of (a) creating and (b) maintaining war memorials in the UK has been in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not have responsibility for war memorials. This responsibility rests with the owner of the memorial, which is normally a local authority, a private individual or organisation.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned in-service dates are for each of the (a) Astute-class submarines and (b) Type 45 destroyers which have yet to join the fleet.

Peter Luff: The First of Class, HMS Astute, achieved its in-service date in April 2010 and is currently undertaking a period of extensive and comprehensive sea trials before being handed over to the Royal Navy for operational service, which on current plans will be in late 2012.
	The planned in-service dates for the remainder of the Astute class boats are:
	
		
			  Year 
			 Boat 2 (Ambush) 2013 
			 Boat 3 (Artful) 2015 
			 Boat 4 (Audacious) 2018 
			 Boat 5 2020 
			 Boat 6 2022 
			 Boat 7 2024 
		
	
	The planned in-service dates for the Type 45 Destroyers which have yet to join the fleet are:
	
		
			  Year 
			 Dragon 2012 
			 Defender 2013 
			 Duncan 2014

Warships: Helicopters

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which vessels will be available to serve as landing platform (helicopter) ships from 2020 onwards.

Peter Luff: The means for delivering our landing platform helicopter capability after 2020 have not yet been decided, nor has the eventual out-of-service date of HMS Ocean, which provides the current capability. These decisions will be influenced by the evolving plan for the introduction into service of the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Warships: Weapons

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the replacement of existing warship guns by ones of 155mm; and if he will make a statement on his policy, with special reference to (a) the future frigate fleet and (b) Type 45 destroyers.

Peter Luff: No decision on the calibre of the new Maritime Indirect Fire System (the new naval gun) has yet been made. This will be taken when work to consider the available options under the Future Maritime Fires Concept Phase is complete in around mid-2012.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits Rules

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the individuals in households he estimates will be affected by his proposed cap on welfare benefit entitlements are (a) children and (b) adults.

Chris Grayling: The introduction of the household benefit cap is intended to achieve long-term positive behavioural effects through changed attitudes to welfare, responsible life choices and strong work incentives.
	In the equality impact assessment we published in March 2011, we showed the number of households affected, and the division of those households by number of children. From this, it is estimated that the households affected by the cap will contain less than 100,000 adults, and approximately 200,000 children.
	We have announced that we are looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases.

Benefits Rules

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition of work will be used when applying the proposed benefit cap.

Chris Grayling: We are introducing the benefit cap to promote fairness between those in and out of work and to increase incentives for people to move into work or increase their hours of employment. In support of these objectives, households which contain a member who is eligible for working tax credit will be exempt from the cap. We are still considering the precise criteria for a corresponding exemption under universal credit.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from his Department in (a) June 2010 and (b) June 2011.

Chris Grayling: It is estimated that Department for Work and Pensions non-weather corrected emissions for its office estate and business travel amounted to 14,177,678 kg CO2 for June 2010.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is still collating and validating its emission data for June 2011, however it is estimated that its non-weather corrected emissions for June 2011 will amount to some 12,759,910 kg CO2.
	Estates information for 2010-11 is based on data collected quarterly, DWP moved to collecting data on a monthly basis from April 2011.

Child Support Agency: Correspondence

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of queries to the Child Support Agency were responded to within 15 working days in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of queries to the Child Support Agency were responded to within 15 working days in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.
	We tried to contact your office to clarify your question as the Child Support Agency does not record the percentage of queries that are responded to within 15 days.
	We have instead interpreted your question as what percentage of complaints to the Child Support Agency were either fully resolved or had a resolution plan in place within 15 days. The percentage of complaints that were fully resolved and/or with a resolution plan in place within 15 working days of receipt in the year ending March 2011 was 99.2%. This is an increase from 98.5% in the year ending March 2010 and 97.1% in the year ending March 2009.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 237-38W, on Child Support Agency, when he plans to consult on his proposals to introduce a new variations system as part of the proposed new child maintenance scheme.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 237-8W, on Child Support Agency, when he plans to consult on his proposals to introduce a new variations system as part of the proposed new child maintenance scheme.
	Variations rules will be included in a set of draft regulations dealing with maintenance calculations for the new statutory scheme, which we plan to launch in 2012. These regulations will be subject to public consultation, which we are intending to announce in due course. Following that the regulations, which will be affirmative, will be introduced into Parliament for consideration.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 586, on Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, for what reasons performance indicators for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission for 2011-12 do not mention the collection of child maintenance arrears.

Maria Miller: It has become clear since the coalition Government took office that we need to understand fully the deep legacy of CSA arrears which have accumulated over 18 years. We have set up an independent panel to look at arrears and provide advice on how arrears of child maintenance might be dealt with most effectively in the long-term. Once we have considered that advice we will decide what indicator would be appropriate for the collection of arrears.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what models for integrating child maintenance into local services are being tested by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission; what the timetable is for testing such models; and where such models are being tested.

Maria Miller: The Government's response to their consultation on the future of child maintenance was published on 12 July. This sets out the Government's next steps for taking forward their plans for joining up the existing specialist and local support available to separating and separated families, so that more parents are able to work together to reach agreements for financial support of their children following separation.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is already engaging with local authorities, voluntary and community groups to encourage them to promote messages around child maintenance as part of their own information services.
	Since the beginning of 2011, the Commission established local projects to explore how support on child maintenance can be integrated into pre-existing local hubs. In Ashington in Northumberland, support on child maintenance is being delivered in a children's centre where other services are offered. A similar project has started in children's centres in Essex with the key difference that parents of children aged up to 19 use these centres. In Nottingham, we are looking at how our services can be integrated into wider local authority support provision including health, youth and community services.
	The results of these projects will be measured and judged by the Commission throughout the year.

Community Care Grants

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department plans to issue guidance to local authorities on developing local support to replace community care grants; and whether he plans to consult (a) third sector organisations, (b) local authorities and (c) national customer representative groups in developing such guidance.

Steve Webb: We are already discussing with the Local Government Association, individual local authorities and national customer representative groups which aspects of the new service they are seeking guidance on and how this can best be delivered. We are continuing to do so over the coming months, and we will be publishing our early findings in the autumn.

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State has travelled on the following flights during the last 12 months (1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011).
	
		
			 Departure date Journey (returns) Class Budget airline? 
			 2 September 2010 Belfast-London Economy No 
			 22 September 2010 Edinburgh-London Economy No 
			 9 February 2011 Glasgow-London Economy No 
			 19 May 2011 Glasgow-London Economy Yes 
		
	
	It should be noted that all of the above flights are compliant with DWP's current travel policy. This specifies that:
	The most cost-effective travel option in line with business needs must always be sought.
	Air travel cannot be used for journeys under 300 miles.
	Air travel is prohibited between Manchester/London, Newcastle/London, and Birmingham/Newcastle.
	Economy class must be booked for any flight under 2½ hours.
	Expenditure on air travel has fallen by 59% from 2009-10 to 2010-11, due to aggressive management of the demand for travel within the Department and a specific initiative to ensure a modal shift from air to less polluting modes of transport.
	The Department has a ban on the use of first class travel and asks staff to focus on minimising travel by using facilities such as video conferencing instead.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year.

Chris Grayling: As far as our records show, in the financial year 2009-10 we employed one senior civil servant at grade Pay Band 1 directly from PricewaterhouseCoopers, otherwise no other senior civil servants in the years in question were employed by these companies directly before taking up appointment with the DWP.
	Information relating to the agreements DWP had with those firms in each such year has been placed in the Library.
	DWP typically pays for consultancy projects via a fixed fee based on defined outcomes/deliverables therefore we are unable to quantify the number of consultants. The consultancy supplier is expected to provide the requisite resource in order for the project deliverables to be achieved at the expected quality within the agreed timescales. This approach ensures the provider is fully responsible for the resources required to deliver the assignment and minimises the commercial risk to DWP.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available in the format requested other than at disproportionate cost as letters may be received from hon. Members at any of the Department's offices.
	The number of pieces of correspondence from hon. Members addressed to Ministers received in the Department in June 2011 is 1,962. Correspondence includes letters, emails and facsimiles.
	The Permanent Secretary received two pieces of correspondence directly from hon. Members during June 2011.
	The chief executive of Jobcentre Plus received 105 pieces of correspondence directly from hon. Members during June 2011.
	The chief executive of the Pension Disability and Carers Service received 166 pieces of correspondence directly from hon. Members during June 2011.
	The commissioner and chief executive of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission received three pieces of correspondence directly from hon. Members during June 2011. In addition, the Child Support Agency received 478 pieces of correspondence directly from hon. Members during June 2011.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible since May 2010;
	(2)  how much (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible has spent on redundancies since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: The Government introduced a recruitment freeze across all civil service departments and their non-departmental bodies from 24 May 2010. Frontline and business critical posts and the civil service fast stream are exempt from the recruitment freeze; however specific departmental approval is required for these exemptions.
	The number of people recruited since May 2010 is shown in the following table. These figures include recruitment authorised under exemptions to the freeze and where legally binding job offers had been made prior to the freeze commencing.
	
		
			 Recruitment 
			  Permanent Fixed term appointment Temporary  (1) Total 
			 Department and its agencies 94 220 141 455 
			      
		
	
	
		
			 Non-departmental public bodies(2)     
			 Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission 55 516 — 571 
			 Health and Safety Executive 120 19 — 139 
			 Independent Living Fund — — — 0 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service(3) 5 * — * 
			 The Pensions Regulator 40 23 37 100 
			 Pensions Ombudsman(3) * * — * 
			 National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) Corporation(4) — 143 — 143 
			 Pension Protection Fund 22 18 — 40 
			 Remploy Ltd 12 150 — 162 
			 (1 )Temporary staff are staff on the departmental payroll who have been hired on short term casual contracts. (2) The following non-departmental bodies do not employ staff: Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board Equality 2025 Industrial Injuries Advisory Council Social Security Advisory Committee (3) Numbers less than five or totals resulting from component numbers less than five are represented by *. (4) The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority was wound up on the 5 July 2010 and its functions transferred to its successor body—NEST Corporation. 
		
	
	Since May 2010 there have been a number of group and individual early release schemes as set out as follows. Early releases were subject to governance processes designed to ensure that they support business objectives and represent value for money.
	
		
			  Number of people leaving under early release schemes Cost (£ million) 
			 Department and its agencies 1,563 70.9 
		
	
	1,069 people and £49.7 million of the figures above relate to a recent early release scheme where figures are still to be reconciled for accounting purposes. This may lead to some slight amendments to the figures.
	
		
			 Non-departmental public bodies Number of people leaving under early releases schemes Cost (£ million) 
			 Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission 57 3.3 
			 Health and Safety Executive 200 8.7 
			 Pensions Ombudsman 0 0 
			 National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) Corporation 0 0 
			 Remploy Ltd 705 19.2 
		
	
	The following non-departmental bodies each had less than five early releases, in order to protect individual personal information the costs have been totalled.
	
		
			  Number of people leaving under early releases schemes Cost (£) 
			 Independent Living Fund (1)6 (1)458,312 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (1)— (1)— 
			 The Pensions Regulator (1)— (1)— 
			 Pension Protection Fund (1)— (1)— 
			 Total 6 458,312 
			 (1 )Indicates brace

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many procurement contracts his Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions' IT system and procurement contract repository are not currently configured to report on the proportion of procurement contracts that the Department awards to small businesses. However, we are in the process of delivering this capability and expect completion by the end of the 2011-12 financial year.
	During the period 1 May 2010 to 30 June 2011, the Department spent a total of £726.5 million with known small business suppliers. This represents 14.2% of our commercial spending in the period.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department have been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since the website's inception.

Chris Grayling: Since its inception and to 30 June 2011, the Department for Work and Pensions has published 28 invitations to tender documents and 24 contract award documents on the Contracts Finder website. We are currently undertaking a review to ensure we have published 100% of our reportable contracts on the site. This review should be completed by the 1 October 2011.

Departmental Redundancy

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many employees of (a) Jobcentre Plus and (b) his Department have been made redundant in each month since May 2010; and how many such redundancies were (i) voluntary and (ii) compulsory;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of redundancy notices that will be issued to employees of (a) Jobcentre Plus and (b) his Department between July 2011 and December 2012.

Chris Grayling: Since May 2010 a total of 1,563 members of staff have left the Department and its agencies under early release schemes. 506 of these have been from Jobcentre Plus.
	All early releases have been on a voluntary basis, there have been no compulsory redundancies. Releases were all subject to governance processes designed to ensure that they supported business objectives and represented value for money.
	Over the period, the Department and its agencies have collectively run three voluntary early release schemes. The following table shows the months in which the resulting releases took place:
	
		
			 Month of leaving Jobcentre Plus DWP and other agencies DWP total 
			 October 2010 70 117 187 
			 January 2011 0 307 307 
			 June 2011 436 633 1,069 
			 Total 506 1,057 1,563 
		
	
	Each scheme had a common leaving date as shown however a small number of staff had later leaving dates for business reasons.
	Figures relating to the June, early release scheme are still to be reconciled for accounting purposes. This may lead to some slight amendments to the figures. The Department plans to realise substantial efficiency savings over the period of the spending review 2011-12 to 2014-15 through measures which will deliver both savings and improved customer service, as well as focussing its resources on key reforms of the welfare system. These plans may lead to offers of voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy or, if absolutely necessary, the use of compulsory redundancy at some time in the future.
	Work force planning is currently in hand and it is not feasible to provide firm estimates on numbers or timescales at this stage. In some areas plans are more advanced and where this is the case indications are that we may need to manage up to 1,850 early releases over the next two financial years. This figure is subject to ongoing review and may change.

Departmental Telephone Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding he has allocated to each telephone helpline operated by his Department in 2011-12; and what the purpose is of each such helpline.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) operates several telephone helplines and service lines. These are spread across the different businesses within DWP. It has not been possible to provide a detailed breakdown of funding for each service line, as many DWP people are multi-skilled, either across several service lines and helplines or they perform both telephony and processing duties. All of our external telephone numbers are available on:
	www.direct.gov.uk
	The information provided is by business.
	Jobcentre Plus
	Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre Directorate (CCD) operates 20 service lines:
	First Contact—where members of the public contact us to make a new claim to benefit;
	Crisis Loans (for living expenses)—where claimants contact us to apply for a crisis loan;
	Employer Direct—where employers contact us to place a vacancy;
	National Insurance Number (NINO) Allocation—where people without a NINO can apply for one;
	National Benefit Fraud Hotline—where members of the public report claimants for suspected benefit fraud;
	Tax Evasion Hotline—is operated by Jobcentre Plus on behalf of HMRC, members of the public report people for suspected tax evasion;
	Local Authority Fraud—is operated by Jobcentre Plus on behalf of local authorities, members of the public report people for suspected housing benefit or council tax benefit fraud;
	Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) Benefit Inquiry Line—JSA claimants can report a change of circumstances or make an inquiry about their claim;
	Income Support (IS) Benefit Inquiry Line—IS claimants can report a change of circumstances or make an inquiry about their claim;
	Incapacity Benefit (IB) Inquiry Line—IB claimants can report a change of circumstances or make an inquiry about their claim;
	Employment Support Allowance (ESA) Inquiry Line—ESA claimants can report a change of circumstances or make an inquiry about their claim;
	Maternity Allowance—where members of the public contact us to make a new claim to maternity allowance;
	Overseas Vacancy Team—where employers contact us to place a vacancy outside of the UK;
	International Jobsearch Advice—is for members of the public who want information about working and living abroad;
	Jobseeker Direct—members of the public can call to look for jobs or obtain more information about a particular vacancy they have found;
	Self Service Helpdesk—technical support for customers who are having difficulty making an application to benefit online;
	UK Borders Agency Immigration Inquiry Bureau—Jobcentre Plus are currently running a proof of concept exercise in partnership with UKBA taking some of their calls dealing with inquiries from immigration and emigration;
	E-Business Operational Support Team—technical support for employers who are having difficulty placing a vacancy online; and
	Small and Medium Business Recruitment Helpline—offers advice and support to small and medium-sized businesses and guides them through the recruitment process.
	The overall budget for this year is £212.3 million and this is broken down into £197.8 million for staff costs and £14.5 million for non-staff costs. CCD agents are multi skilled, which means that they answer calls across multiple service lines. This means that they are unable to provide a breakdown of funding per service line. CCD agents do not undertake any duties other than telephony.
	Shared S ervices
	Shared Services are split into three areas, Purchase to Pay and Payment Resolution Service, Employee Services and Debt Management.
	Purchase to Pay and Payment Resolution Service operates three service lines and helplines:
	Purchase to Pay Helpline—is for suppliers relating to queries around payments for goods and services. It also receives calls from Jobcentre Plus advisers and claimants seeking clarification on payments made to support people back to work. This line is operated by approximately 13 staff and costs £290,000 per annum.
	Bank Liaison Section—is an internal helpline and receives calls from Pension Centre or Jobcentre Plus staff requesting that the Bank Liaison Section recalls a payment from a bank account. This line is operated by approximately five staff and costs £110,000 per annum.
	Third party payments helpline—is a helpline for third party creditors, for example utilities companies and local authorities, querying payments made to them following deductions made from benefits. This line is operated by approximately 2.5 staff and costs £55,000 per annum.
	The Purchase to Pay and Payment Resolution Service estimated non staff annual costs are £128,508. This means that overall this service will cost £583,508 this operational year.
	Employee Services operates three internal service lines and helplines for DWP employees to raise HR and payroll queries:
	Simple queries are answered at the first point of contact and funding of £1.510 million has been provided for this year.
	More complex queries are handled by specialist caseworkers and funding of £169,000 has been provided for this year.
	An external recruitment helpline is operated for candidates applying for externally advertised posts. Due to the civil service recruitment freeze no funding has been provided for this activity for 2011-12.
	Employee Services estimated non-staff annual costs are £299,520. This means that overall this service will cost £1,978,520 this operational year.
	Debt Management does not operate any helplines but has three service lines:
	Debt Recovery—is for customers to make enquiries about new or ongoing debt cases;
	Debt Payment—debt customers are able to make direct payments through debit card transactions; and
	Recovery from Estates—is for inquiries regarding debt recovery from a deceased customer's estate.
	Debt Management's overall budget for this year is £6,902,967 and this is broken down into £6,121,755 for staff costs and £781,212 for non-staff costs.
	Pension Disability and Carers Service (PDCS)
	PDCS operates 16 helplines and service lines:
	State Pension New Claims—where members of the public contact us to claim their state pension;
	Pension Credit New Claims—for customers who have an inquiry relating to pension credit. This includes checking entitlement, making a new claim or progressing a claim which they have already started;
	State Pension Changes—for customers who are in receipt of their state pension and wish to inform PDCS of a change of circumstances;
	Pension Credit Changes—for customers who are in receipt of their pension credit and wish to inform PDCS of a change of circumstances;
	Bereavement Service—for customers who are calling to report bereavement, this provides advice and support on how to cease benefits;
	Future Pension Centre—for members of the public at working age who want a pension forecast;
	National Pension Centre—or customers who are in receipt of state pension and are above a certain age who wish to make a query about their claim or report a change of circumstances;
	International Pension Centre—for customers who are living abroad and are in receipt of state pension;
	Tell Us Once service—is undertaking a phased roll-out approach and allows customers who live within certain local authorities to give details of bereavement and this will notify all other affected authorities of the bereavement;
	Winter Fuel—for customers who have a query relating to winter fuel. This service is only available within the months of November to March;
	Pension Tracing Service—for customers who have lost details of a pension scheme which they were previously contributing to;
	Method of Payment Reform service—for customers who receive their state pension or pension credit via cheque or giro cheque and need to change their payment method to direct payment to a bank account; and
	Overseas Healthcare Team—for customers making inquiries about health care abroad. This is includes applying for, renewing and make changes to a European Health Insurance Card. It is also an advice line for customers who are travelling abroad as well as a helpline for NHS and insurance workers.
	PDCS budgets are calculated by Pension Centre rather than by function and staff perform both telephony and processing duties, which means that it is not possible to provide a breakdown by service line nor how much funding is given to their telephony services. PDCS have an overall budget of £155 million for this operational year.
	Carers allowance—for customers who have caring responsibilities for a disabled person and deals with all inquiries, including new claims. This service line has a budget of £3.5 million for this operational year and includes staff and non-staff costs.
	Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance Helpline—deals with all inquiries, including new claims, for disability living allowance and attendance allowance. This service line has a budget of £8.7 million for this operational year and includes staff and non-staff costs.
	Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)—is a helpline for people with disabilities, their carers and representatives, offering confidential advice and general information on all benefits and how to claim them. This service line has a budget of £1.1 million for this operational year and includes staff and non-staff costs.
	Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC)
	CMEC operates a national helpline which is for clients and stakeholders to ask case specific or general inquiries. The budget is £6.25 million and covers the cost of people employed by the helpline, plus expenses. It does not include overhead items such as IT or accommodation as these budgets are controlled centrally.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the average length of time employment and support allowance claimants wait for their appeal to be heard.

Chris Grayling: At the end of May 2011, there was an average total of 32.6 weeks between an appeal being submitted to the Department of Work and Pensions and a final decision being made by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
	The average time between the Department receiving the appeal and it being passed to HMCTS was 8.1 weeks. During this time, the Department looks at the case again to ensure it is fully satisfied its original decision was correct.
	The average time between HMCTS receiving an appeal from the Department for Work and Pensions and the appeal being heard was 24.5 weeks. During this period, HMCTS contacts the appellant to ensure that they have an opportunity to submit any additional evidence they believe will support their appeal.
	It is important to ensure that all parties have time to fully consider the facts of the case and provide any further evidence they believe may be relevant.

Employment and Support Allowance: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time is for which employment and support allowance applicants in Bexleyheath and Crayford have waited for (a) a medical assessment and (b) an appeal hearing in the last 12 months.

Chris Grayling: Information on the Work Capability Assessment and appeals process is not available at parliamentary constituency level. The information requested is therefore presented for (a) the Bexley local authority area, and (b) appeals administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service office serving the Bexleyheath and Crayford area.
	In the last 12-month period for which figures are available (September 2000 to August 2010), for new claims to employment and support allowance in Bexley, the average time between the claim start date and the date Jobcentre Plus provided the decision on the initial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) was 113 days, or 16 weeks.
	ESA appeals are submitted to Jobcentre Plus and are then passed to Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Within the Bexleyheath and Crayford area, appeals are dealt with by the HMCTS administrative office in Sutton and are heard by a Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) tribunal in Bexleyheath.
	In the last 12-month period for which figures are available (June 2010 to May 2011) the average time between Jobcentre Plus receiving the appeal and it being passed to the HMCTS administrative office Sutton was 9.9 weeks. During this time, Jobcentre Plus staff look at the case again to ensure they are fully satisfied the original decision was correct, in the same period, the average time between HMCTS receiving an appeal from the Jobcentre Plus and the appeal being heard at the SSCS tribunal in Bexleyheath was 19.1 weeks. During this period, HMCTS contacts the appellant to ensure that they have an opportunity to submit any additional evidence they believe will support their appeal.
	The Department for Work and Pensions regularly publishes official statistics on employment and support allowance and the WCA. The latest report was published in April 2011 and can be found on the internet at the following link:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/index.php?page=esa_wca_arc

Employment Schemes

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has issued guidance to Work programme prime providers to ensure the use of local, specialist and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority providers in their sub-contracts and supply chain.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions cannot discriminate in favour of any particular organisation or group. Also, we did not specify the types of organisations that should be engaged in the Work programme supply chain as these are commercial decisions for prime providers. We did, however, ask organisations invited to tender for Work programme contracts to tell us how they would fully meet the diverse needs of all participants including those from black, Asian and ethnic minority groups.

Employment Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) status and (b) purpose is of the Transforming Labour Market Services Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) The Transforming Labour Market Services Project is currently in the final stages of a commercial process to select a supplier and will announce the selection in September. Providing the Project receives the necessary approvals, the new service is expected to go live in spring 2012.
	(b) Transforming Labour Market Services is one of the cornerstone projects of the Department for Work and Pensions digitalisation and business transformation agenda and will deliver a web-based vacancy taking, filling and automated job matching service.
	It is an important foundation for universal credit, encouraging jobseekers and business to use and become comfortable with, online channels in their transactions with the Department. It will also make an important contribution to the Department's efficiency savings.
	It will create an improved and integrated service where employers can directly manage their job vacancies online, jobseekers can manage their job seeking profile online, and both can receive automated matches based on their requirements.

Foreign Workers

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what companies holding contracts with his Department have submitted proposals to offshore work in the last 12 months.

Chris Grayling: The Department requires that contracted suppliers consult with the Department where it is proposed to store or process any of the Department's information outside of the UK. Details of the individual suppliers that have consulted with the Department with regard to such proposals are commercially sensitive. Separately, the Department is exploring how future offshoring can be minimised and whether jobs currently offshored could potentially be moved back to the UK.

Housing Benefit

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to review regularly the relationship between housing benefit and actual rents and changing the calculations of housing support where there is a divergence;
	(2)  what process housing benefit will be uprated under universal credit; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that housing benefit rates take account of trends in rental costs.

Steve Webb: In the private rented sector, we have begun and will continue to make reforms to the local housing allowance approach. We have already announced our intention to limit increases in housing support in line with the consumer prices index (CPI) from April 2013 and this will ensure that we continue to exert downward pressure on rents.
	We have commissioned independent, external research to evaluate the impact of the reforms to housing benefit announced in the June 2010 Budget and the spending review. The review will be comprehensive and thorough and will be presented to both Houses together with a ministerial statement. We intend to make final findings available in 2013 with initial findings available during 2012.
	We are committed to making savings from the measure to uprate LHA by CPI until 2014-15, but if it then becomes apparent that local housing allowance rates and local market rents are out of step they can then be reconsidered.
	Support for housing costs is also an important element of universal credit and we want to incorporate the features of the local housing allowance where it is appropriate. Ministers are, however, still considering the detailed design features of how housing costs will be included within the overall universal credit framework.

Housing Benefit

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department expects to publish its consultation document on exempt accommodation rules; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We published the consultation document, “Housing Benefit Reform—Supported Accommodation” on 19 July 2011 and this can be found on the DWP website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/supported-housing.shtml
	This was announced by written ministerial statement on 19 July 2011, Official Report, columns 115-16WS. The consultation period runs until 9 October 2011.

Housing Benefit

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether charities providing private housing for vulnerable adults will be able to receive an individual's housing benefit directly into their bank account under his proposed changes to the benefit system; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what responsibilities elderly people in supported housing are to have for (a) managing their housing benefit and (b) ensuring that their rent is paid appropriately under his proposed changes to the benefit system;
	(3)  whether individuals who are to be given charge of their housing benefit payments are to be provided with any financial education or assistance with their personal finances.

Steve Webb: There are advantages in paying the housing component to individuals, rather than the current system of payments direct to landlords. This would encourage people to manage their own budget in the same way as other households. Additionally, we do not want to take away responsibilities for rent payment that tenants have handled perfectly well perhaps all their working lives.
	However, we also recognise the importance of stable rental income for social landlords to support the delivery of new homes. We are developing universal credit in a way that protects their financial position, and we plan to retain a facility for direct payments to social landlords, including charities.
	We do recognise that, in encouraging more people to manage their own budgets, there may well be a need for additional financial education and support. We are considering precisely what additional support services might be required in the run up to universal credit.

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average level of payment was under the housing benefit transitional payments scheme for each London borough in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: To support the 2011 housing benefit reforms we are providing an additional £10 million of discretionary housing payments (DHPs) during 2011-12 which has been allocated based on the Department's estimates of the total gross reduction in housing benefit entitlement in each local authority.
	We have also provided a further £4 million of transition funding during 2011-12 to support implementation initiatives. At the beginning of May we invited local authorities to bid for a proportion of the £4 million transition fund available during 2011-12. We received 67 bids most of which were joint bids between local authorities. Individual bids were marked against set criteria including value for money, innovation and how well they support the transition stages of change.
	A total of 10 bids were successful of which four were covering London boroughs and are listed as follows.
	
		
			 Bid Area covered Initiative Value (£) 
			 East London Housing Partnership (lead LA is Barking and Dagenham) Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Newham, Redbridge, City of London and Havering Social lettings agency: provides free service to landlords to avoid management costs and reduce rents; support for tenants who have to move 294,875 
			 London borough of Lambeth Lambeth with voluntary sector groups in the area Tenancy rescue service to support the most vulnerable to prevent homelessness 266,000 
			 London borough of Haringey Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Islington, Westminster and Haringey Mobility settlement service providing monetary advice, support with rent negotiation and practical assistance where people need to move 525,000 
			 London borough of Brent Local authority only Advice workers; portal for voluntary sector to help support claimants 216,526 
		
	
	All local authorities were advised of their individual allocation of DHP funding during 2011-12 on 2 February 2011
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/s2-2011.pdf
	Allocations of DHP funding and transition funding for future years will be decided later this year.

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of housing benefit in each London borough whose rent level is greater than their entitlement to local housing allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The requested information is not available at local authority level. However, the Department has made available on its website statistics on the number of housing benefit claimants assessed under local housing allowance rules, who are experiencing a shortfall between their housing benefit and contractual rent, by Government office region. The table shows that, as at March 2010, in London 38%, which at the time was equivalent to 61,000 claimants, were experiencing a shortfall.
	This information was included in the ad hoc analysis publication titled 'LHA Regional Analysis', which was published on the DWP statistics website on 13 May 2011.
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/
	Local housing allowance rules changed on 1 April 2011. Customers who were receiving housing benefit according to local housing allowance rules at the time these changes were introduced are receiving up to nine months transitional protection from the date their claim is reviewed by the local authority, allowing them more time to adjust to the changes.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Health and Safety Executive defines low-risk business environments.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed guidance and example risk assessments primarily aimed at lower risk businesses. HSE has been guided by the definition of risk as a concept embodying a combination of likelihood and consequence. Therefore, low risk activities are those where incidents have a low likelihood of occurring and consequences are minor.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 37W, on industrial health and safety, what the cost will be to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of the implementation of the recommendations of Common Safety that it leads on in each year to 2014-15; and what percentage of the HSE's budget such cost represents in each such year.

Chris Grayling: The majority of the recommendations falling to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) from Common Sense Common Safety have already been delivered. Those that remain will be delivered within existing HSE resources, in line with the HSE delivery plan, and within the HSE 2010 spending review settlement.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 34W, on industrial accidents, whether he anticipates a reduction in the overall number of proactive workplace inspections as a result of changes to the Health and Safety Executive's budget.

Chris Grayling: No. The reduction in the number of proactive workplace inspections is a matter of policy. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 32W.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 34W, on industrial accidents, what criteria the Government uses to monitor the effectiveness of (a) proactive workplace inspections and (b) incident inspections conducted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Chris Grayling: The Government do not use criteria for monitoring the effectiveness of HSE specifically in relation to proactive workplace inspections and incident follow-up inspections on the number of industrial accidents because there is no reliable way of distinguishing their impact from other influences in the health and safety system.

Jobcentre Plus: Closures

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse arising from the closure of Jobcentre Plus branches at (a) London Heathrow, (b) London Denmark Street, (c) London Harrow Station Road, (d) Camberwell, (e) Bluewater Recruitment Centre, (f) Chelmsford Beeches Road, (g) Edinburgh City, (h) Dundee Gellatly Street, (i) Aberdeen Chapel Street, (j) Glasgow Shawlands, (k) Glasgow City, (l) Glasgow Hillington, (m) Aylesbury Heron House, (n) Manchester Airport, (o) Manchester Trafford Centre, (p) Old Swan Merseyside, (q) Halifax Horton Street, (r) Leicester Highfields, (s) Caradog House, Cardiff, (t) Banff and (u) Girvan;
	(2)  when he expects Jobcentre Plus's review of the jobcentre estate to be concluded; how many branches of Jobcentre Plus have been announced for closure as part of that review to date; what services are available from each branch announced for closure; and on what date each branch will close;
	(3)  which organisations Jobcentre Plus have encouraged to co-locate with its branches at (a) London Heathrow, (b) London Denmark Street, (c) London Harrow Station Road, (d) Camberwell, (e) Bluewater Recruitment Centre, (f) Chelmsford Beeches Road, (g) Edinburgh City, (h) Dundee Gellatly Street, (i) Aberdeen Chapel Street, (j) Glasgow Shawlands, (k) Glasgow City, (l) Glasgow Hillington, (m) Aylesbury Heron House, (n) Manchester Airport, (o) Manchester Trafford Centre, (p) Old Swan Merseyside, (q) Halifax Horton Street, (r) Leicester Highfields, (s) Caradog House, Cardiff, (t) Banff and (u) Girvan.

Chris Grayling: The estimated savings to the public purse of the 20 Jobcentre buildings identified for potential closure is £32.1 million over eight years (to 2017-18) at Net Present Value (NPV).
	Jobcentre Plus is endeavouring to become a leaner, more flexible and productive organisation that delivers more of its services over the telephone and internet. As it implements more digital services and as unemployment falls, Jobcentre Plus will be able to free up more capacity in its estate. Face-to-face contact in Jobcentres will reduce as more services can be accessed online and through the simplification of the benefit system.
	While Jobcentre Plus does not anticipate announcing any further closures this year, it will continuously review its estate so that efficiency savings and value for money for the taxpayer can be achieved. Jobcentre Plus will also be working alongside its partners to explore every opportunity that might further reduce estates costs and constantly monitoring its workloads and the impact of universal credit to assess the potential for further rationalisation.
	Since the estates review commenced (post 2010 spending review), Jobcentre Plus has announced the closure or consultation on the closure of 44 offices.
	On 13 May it was announced that 22 Benefit and Contact Centres would close. Benefit Centres at Arbroath, Ayr, Broadstairs, Cannock, Castleford, Chester, Exeter, Halifax, Huyton, Lincoln, Luton, Mansfield, Sutton in Ashfield, Totton and Yeovil will close by May 2012. Contact Centres at Caerphilly, Clydebank, Grimsby (Europarc), Liverpool and Preston will close by May 2012. A further two Benefit Centres at Carlisle and Hartlepool will close during 2012-13.
	On 8 July Jobcentre Plus announced consultation on the closure of Banff and Girvan Jobcentres and the intention to move all staff and services into the premises of partner organisations in the respective towns.
	On 19 July Jobcentre Plus announced that it had identified 20 Jobcentre buildings which it believes it can close without reducing service standards and has embarked on a six week consultation period before taking a final decision. The services that each provides is as follows:
	London Heathrow Jobshop is an employer only facility and the same facilities for employers can be provided at a nearby Jobcentre in Hounslow.
	London Denmark Street Jobcentre is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be offered from nearby Jobcentres in Central London.
	London Harrow Station Road Jobcentre provides the full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within one mile (Harrow Kings House).
	London Camberwell Jobcentre provides the full Jobcentre service but there are alternative Jobcentres within two miles at Peckham, Brixton and Kennington.
	The Bluewater Recruitment Centre is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be offered from nearby Jobcentres in Kent.
	Chelmsford Beeches Road is an annex to the main Jobcentre in the town and customers are only seen here by appointment.
	Edinburgh City provides the full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within two miles (High Riggs).
	Dundee Gellatly Street provides the full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within one mile (Wellgate, Dundee).
	Aberdeen Chapel Street provides the full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within ½ mile at Edbury House, Aberdeen.
	Glasgow Shawlands is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be offered from nearby Jobcentres in Glasgow.
	Glasgow City provides the full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within two miles (Partick).
	Glasgow Hillington is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be offered from nearby Jobcentres in Glasgow.
	Aylesbury Heron House provides the full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within ½ mile at Sunley House, Aylesbury.
	Manchester airport Jobshop is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be offered from nearby Jobcentres in Manchester city centre.
	Manchester Trafford Centre Jobshop is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be offered from nearby Jobcentres in Manchester city centre.
	Old Swan, Liverpool provides a full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within two miles at West Derby.
	Halifax Horton Street provides a full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within one mile (Halifax Crossfield).
	Leicester Highfields provides a full Jobcentre service but there are alternative Jobcentres within two miles at Charles Street and Wellington Street.
	Caradog House, Cardiff provides a full Jobcentre service but there is an alternative Jobcentre within one mile (Charles Street, Cardiff).
	Birmingham airport Jobshop is an employer only facility and the same facilities can be provided at nearby Jobcentres.
	Prior to the announcement on 19 July, confidentiality prevented Jobcentre Plus from progressing beyond high level discussions with potential co-location partners at the sites. Now that the announcement has been made, Jobcentre Plus is able to embark upon a six week consultation exercise with all of our customers, partners and key stakeholders and the subject of co-location will be an integral element of the exercise. Jobcentre Plus district managers have written to stakeholders to instigate and encourage participation in the consultation exercise.
	If it is concluded following consultation that the closures should go ahead, typically they will close in 12 months unless a lease break enables earlier exit.

Jobcentre Plus: Complaints

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints have been made in relation to services provided by Jobcentre Plus (a) by each claimant category and (b) in relation to each service since 1997.

Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus was formed in April 2002, from the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service. I cannot provide the information relating to each claimant category and each service because we do not record in that way. Information is only available since 2004-05 in the following table:
	
		
			 Complaints received by Jobcentre Plus 
			  Number 
			 2004-05 34,430 
			 2005-06 33,350 
			 2006-07 46,578 
			 2007-08 45,852 
			 2008-09 45,202 
			 2009-10 60,201 
			 2010-11 63,302 
		
	
	The rise in complaints is consistent with the rise in the volume of claimants Jobcentre Plus was dealing with.

Jobcentre Plus: Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what incentives and bonus payments are available for personal advisers in Jobcentre Plus centres; how those incentives and payments are structured; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The employee rewards scheme that Jobcentre Plus operates for its personal advisers are the same as those that run throughout the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); which Jobcentre Plus is a part of.
	They comprise of an end of year non-consolidated performance pay and an in-year special awards.
	DWP employees below the senior civil service are eligible for an annual individual non-consolidated performance payment if they attain a rating of Wholly Exceptional or Consistently Good under the People Performance system. The actual payment awarded is determined by the employee's pay band and the performance level achieved.
	Individuals may also be awarded a Special Award either as cash or retail vouchers. These are one-off recognition awards, payable at any time during the performance year, to recognise exceptional achievements beyond what would normally be expected.

Jobcentre Plus: Standards

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what metrics are used to assess the performance of personal advisers in Jobcentre Plus; what the latest figures are for performance against those metrics in each region; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Individual Adviser Performance is assessed via our Performance Management Framework which consists of a series of agreed objectives and competencies. Within these objectives there is an expectation that advisers will spend 70% of their available time interacting with claimants and undertake a series of appropriate actions to support them to move closer to and into work. These metrics are managed at jobcentre level and are not aggregated to district or group level.
	Jobcentre Plus is currently developing a new productivity measure (Average Adviser Contact Minutes per day) to support the delivery of a more personalised service that will identify barriers and find ways to support claimants back to work within the guidance framework of our Service Delivery Model. This new measure is due to be published in early September.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 12 May 2011 regarding Ms S Prior.

Chris Grayling: A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 25 May 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer the letter from the Rt. hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 31 May 2011 regarding Mrs M Saleem.

Chris Grayling: A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 14 June 2011.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to Support for Mortgage Interest on the Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities model; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We published an equality impact assessment to accompany the regulations which introduced the change to the standard interest rate. It can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/support-for-mortgage-interest.pdf
	Information on the numbers of people in the HOLD scheme receiving support for mortgage interest is not available and no specific assessment has been made of the effect of the changes on the HOLD model. The Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible for the policy for the HOLD scheme.
	Support for mortgage interest is intended to provide a reasonable level of help for homeowners and has never been intended to cover all of a person's housing liabilities or to meet mortgage repayments in full. The fluctuating nature of the standard interest rate has been a key design feature since 1995, so rate increases and decreases are not new. It has always been the claimant's responsibility to meet any shortfalls. All individuals applying to the HOLD scheme must be able to demonstrate to their mortgage lender and the housing association provider that they are able to meet the cost of buying their share and that they can sustain the financial responsibilities that home ownership brings.

Pensioners: Cost of Living

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to the reliability of the Consumer Prices Index as a measure of inflation for pensioners, particularly in respect of mortgage interest.

Steve Webb: We have concluded that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) is a reliable measure of pensioners' experience of inflation for a number of reasons.
	Firstly the CPI basket of goods does not include mortgage interest payments, which are not relevant to the majority of pensioners, only 8% of whom have a mortgage. The inclusion of mortgage interest payments in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) led to negative RPI growth of -1.4 per cent in the year to September 2009, whereas the CPI showed 1.1 per cent growth during the same period.
	The CPI includes the expenditure of pensioner households who receive 75% or more of their income from the state, a group excluded from the RPI.
	The CPI also employs a methodology that is a more accurate reflection of how consumers, including pensioners, respond to price rises, than the methodology employed in the RPI.

Pensions

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an individual receiving the average rate of earnings who has made full national insurance contributions will be better or worse off under his plans for a flat rate pension.

Maria Miller: The Government's consultation paper, ‘A state pension for the 21st century’, sets out two broad options for reform to simplify the state pension and better support retirement saving. It also examines options for a more automatic mechanism for determining future changes to state pension age in order to ensure that the state pension remains sustainable and affordable.
	The public consultation began on 4 April 2011 and closed on 24 June 2011. A summary of responses to the consultation was published on 27 July 2011 and can be accessed via the following web link:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/state-pension-21st-century
	As policy development is still under way, it is not possible to provide further detail at this stage. If the Government decide to take these proposals further, the publication of a White Paper and impact assessment would follow as part of the usual process.

Personal Independence Payment

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of his proposed personal independence payment on vulnerable adults with moderate and low care needs.

Maria Miller: The Government are in the process of developing the detailed criteria that will be used in the new assessment to determine eligibility for personal independence payment. We are currently carrying out an informal consultation on the draft criteria to seek the views of disabled people and their organisations on how they will work and how they might be improved. We are also testing them by carrying out around 1,000 sample assessments over the summer. The testing will help us to better understand the likely effect of the criteria, including the effect on those vulnerable adults with low to moderate needs. We intend to publish a second draft of the assessment criteria in the autumn, following consideration of the consultation findings and testing results.
	The Government published an impact assessment and equality impact assessment on DLA reform with the Welfare Reform Bill which are available in the Library. As more detailed design is completed estimates of the impact of the new assessment on people receiving DLA will be made.

Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions presently does not hold sector specific contractual information for such sectors as retailing/catering/industrial/services. The information is either not available or not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to change its administrative structure as a result of proposed reforms to the benefits system.

Chris Grayling: The welfare system is currently undergoing the biggest reform in fifty years, making it simpler and more efficient and helping make work pay. As such it will necessitate a change in the administrative structure of DWP. We are currently working to establish what form the new structure will take.

Social Security Benefits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households that will be affected by the proposed benefit cap in which (a) an adult or (b) a child is present who is recognised as a disabled person under the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2010, but does not qualify for disability living allowance; what consideration he has given to providing exemptions in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Our analysis of the impacts of the cap on disabled people was set out in the Equality Impact Assessment we published in March 2011. This shows that of the 50,000 households we estimate the cap will affect, approximately half are likely to contain somebody who is disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 2010.
	We have announced that households that include a member who is entitled to disability living allowance will be exempt from the cap. This is in recognition that disability living allowance is paid to people to help with the extra costs arising from their disability. Not everyone defined as disabled by the Disability Discrimination Act will have extra costs that the Government would expect to meet through the benefit system.
	The mitigation for recipients of disability living allowance means that approximately 30,000 customers who are disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act, who would otherwise be impacted by the cap, are exempted from its effects.

Social Security Benefits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from local authorities on the potential effects of his proposed household benefit cap on demand for (a) school places, (b) housing and (c) children's services; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: As part of the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) consultation on the overall welfare reform package we have received a number of broad representations from local authorities on the potential effects of the reforms on demand for housing. Representations about school places and children's services would be referred to the Department for Education.
	The DWP has a statutory obligation to ensure that local authorities are kept abreast of benefit policy and strategy developments that affect them and have the opportunity, where possible, to help shape them.

Social Security Benefits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households living in temporary accommodation provided by a local authority who will be affected by his proposed household benefit cap; what consideration he has given to providing exemptions in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Information on the number of households living in temporary accommodation provided by a local authority who will be affected by the proposed household benefit cap is not available.
	We have announced that households which contain a member who is entitled to disability living allowance or constant attendance allowance or is eligible for working tax credit will be exempt from the benefit cap as will war widows and widowers. We have also said that we are looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases.

Social Security Benefits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of couple households with children who would be affected by the proposed benefit cap but would cease to be affected by the benefit cap if they terminated their relationships and evenly distributed the residency of the children between two separate parental households; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The introduction of the household benefit cap is intended to achieve long term positive behavioural effects through changed attitudes to welfare, responsible life choices and strong work incentives.
	The financial position of couples living together versus their position apart would depend largely on the cost of accommodation in either situation. There is a wide variation in the cost of accommodation in this country, and so it is not possible to say whether such couples would be better, or worse off by altering their living arrangements in this way.

Social Security Benefits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households who will be affected by the proposed benefit cap during periods of worklessness lasting less than (a) 26 weeks, (b) 13 weeks and (c) four weeks; what consideration he has given to exemption in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: If the benefit cap were applied in full, as announced in the spending review 2010 we estimate that it will affect approximately 50,000 households.
	We have announced that households which contain a member who is entitled to disability living allowance or constant attendance allowance or is eligible for working tax credit will be exempt from the benefit cap as will war widows and widowers.
	We have also said that we are looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases.

Social Security Benefits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households with children in kinship care likely to be affected by the proposed benefit cap; what consideration he has given to exemption in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Information on the number of households with children in kinship care likely to be affected by the proposed benefit cap is not available.
	We have announced that households which contain a member who is entitled to disability living allowance or constant attendance allowance or is eligible for working tax credit will be exempt from the benefit cap as will war widows and widowers. We have also said that we are looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases.
	Any payments kinship carers receive from the local authority are not payments of social security benefit and so will not be included in calculations for the purposes of the benefit cap.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the workload of GPs arising from the provision of evidential support to appeals against decisions in disability living allowance and employment and support allowance.

Chris Grayling: DWP obtains medical evidence whenever necessary as part of the decision making process when deciding entitlement to benefit. If a claimant decides to appeal against the decision they may obtain further medical evidence from clinicians involved in their care, and this may include their GP.
	DWP has not undertaken any recent assessment of trends in GP workload arising from provision of medical evidence to support appeals against decisions in disability living allowance or employment and support allowance.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of trends in the time taken for GPs to respond to requests for information as evidence in applications for (a) disability living allowance and (b) employment and support allowance.

Chris Grayling: When deciding benefit entitlement it is essential that the right decision is reached. Up to date and relevant information is central to this process. DWP may seek information from a number of sources that includes the patient, carers, relatives and friends and professionals involved in the claimant's care.
	Wherever possible, information collection is kept to a minimum but at times professional reports to substantiate claims are needed, and in these circumstances a request for further medical evidence may be made to the GP.
	DWP has not undertaken any assessment of trends in the time taken for GPs to respond to requests for medical evidence for either disability living allowance or employment and support allowance.
	In claims for employment and support allowance, if a GP fails to provide a written report on request, there are mechanisms in place for a health care professional to telephone the GP if it is considered that that the information is essential.

Social Security Benefits: British Nationals Abroad

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to check the entitlement of partners and children resident in other EU member states whose benefits are topped up by the UK because of national insurance contributions made by a family member working in the UK.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	An EU/EEA national who is working in the UK, paying compulsory UK national insurance contributions and is entitled to UK family benefits by virtue of EC regulation 883/2004 in respect of a child or children resident in another member state must provide documentary evidence of the child or children being claimed for, such as an original birth or adoption certificate.
	In addition, where a claim is considered under the EC regulation, HMRC will carry out further checks with the authorities of the other member state to confirm the composition of the family, whether the other parent is working there and whether that member state is paying family benefits. These checks are carried out by all competent institutions in the member states when considering claims to their family benefits under the EC regulation. Payments of UK family benefits, whether at the full rate or at a lower supplementary rate, are not made until the other member state has provided the necessary confirmation.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the contribution by the Minister for Pensions of 12 July 2011, Official Report, column 73WH, on benefits (EU nationals), what the evidential basis is of his statement that it is not possible to prevent skilled migrant workers from working in less demanding jobs; and what discussions he has had with representatives of UK businesses on steps to reduce demand for migrant workers.

Chris Grayling: EU Regulation 492/2011 (formerly Regulation 1612/68), on the freedom of movement of workers within the EU, guarantees migrant workers equality of treatment with nationals of the host country in respect of the right to take up an activity as an employed person and full and free access to the host country labour market. This means the majority of migrant workers from the EU have the right to take up available employment in the UK on the same basis as UK workers. However, there are transitional restrictions in place for nationals of the newest EU member states, Bulgaria and Romania, and the Government are committed to introducing transitional controls on nationals of all new EU member states as a matter of course.
	I have not had any discussions with business representatives to reduce demand for migrant workers.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the contribution by the Minister for Pensions of 12 July 2011, Official Report, column 75WH, on benefits (EU nationals), how many habitual residency requests have been granted to applicants who have been resident in the UK for less than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months and (d) a year in each year since 2004.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
	Information is collected from claimants to help benefit decision-makers decide whether a person's habitually resident, including the length of time someone has lived in the UK prior to making their claim for benefit.
	Information in these circumstances is usually gathered by interviewing the claimant. However, as habitual residence is not a condition of entitlement, and while this information is collected and passed to decision-makers in considering habitual residence, it is not recorded on our benefit processing systems, and we are therefore unable to provide any information relating to this.
	The term 'habitual residence' is not defined in social security legislation. This means that each case is considered on its own merits, in the light of the person's individual circumstances. In deciding whether a person is actually habitually resident, decision-makers consider a wide variety of factors. These include reasons for coming to the United Kingdom, the length of their stay, future intentions, previous links with the country and, in the case of people returning to the United Kingdom, the reasons for their absence. DWP guidance, based on case law, suggests that a period of between one and three months is likely to be appropriate to demonstrate that a person's residence is habitual in nature.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the contribution by the Minister for Pensions of 12 July 2011, Official Report, column 76WH, on benefits (EU nationals), what the minimum level of national insurance contributions is that workers have to make in order to be eligible for benefits that require national insurance contributions at the (a) higher and (b) lower national insurance contribution rate.

Chris Grayling: EU nationals take the same steps to claim contribution-based benefits as UK nationals. If an EU migrant worker's UK national insurance record is not sufficient to meet the contribution conditions for benefit, the UK will use their social insurance payments in another EU member state to help. EU law requires us to ask benefit claimants about whether they have worked elsewhere in Europe.
	The following tables outline the domestic position.
	
		
			 Employment and support allowance (ESA) and jobseeker's allowance (JSA) 
			 Benefit  
			 New First Contribution Condition From 1 November 2010, all new customers claiming contributory ESA and JSA will only qualify for benefit if they have paid contributions on earnings equivalent to the Lower Earnings Limit for at least 26 weeks. Further changes were made to the number of relevant tax years in which a person can pay national insurance contributions and qualify for ESA by reducing them from three years to two, which aligns with JSA. National insurance contributions will need to have been paid in one of the two tax years prior to the claim(1). As a result, people will need to have worked for at least 26 weeks in one of the last two complete tax years to claim either benefit. 
			 ESA New First Condition This must be satisfied in at least one of the last two complete tax years before the start of the benefit year that a claim is made. Paid or treated as paid 26 Class 1 contributions above the Lower Earnings Limit; 26 Class 2 contributions; or a mixture of Class 1 and 2 contributions totalling 26 times the Lower Earnings Limit for that year. Second Contribution Condition For each of the previous two tax years, a claimant must have been paid or credited with Class 1 or Class 2 contributions on earnings of 50 times the Lower Earnings Limit for that tax year. 
			 JSA First Contribution Condition This must be satisfied in at least one of the last two complete tax years before the start of the benefit year that a claim is made. Paid or treated as paid 26 Class 1 contributions of at least the Lower Earnings Limit. This must be satisfied in at least one of the last two complete tax years before the start of the benefit year(2) that a claim is made. Does not include Class 2 contributions (self-employed contributions). Second Contribution ConditionFor each of the previous two tax years, a claimant must have been paid or credited with Class 1 contributions on earnings of 50 times the Lower Earnings Limit for that tax year. Does not include Class 2 contributions. 
			 (1) Certain low paid people who earn above the lower earnings limit and below the single person tax threshold are treated as having paid NI contributions. (2 )A benefit year commences on the first Sunday in January and ends on the Saturday before the first Sunday of the following year. To establish entitlement you look at the contributions paid in the relevant tax years preceding the benefit year in which the claim is made. 
		
	
	
		
			 Bereavement benefits 
			  Widowed parent's allowance (WPA) and bereavement allowance (BA) Bereavement payment (BP) 
			 National insurance—basic condition Entitlement subject to the late spouse or civil partner satisfying certain contribution conditions. 
		
	
	
		
			 First Contribution Condition (only condition for BP) Late spouse or civil partner must have actually paid or have been deemed to have paid in any one tax year a minimum amount of contributions, currently 52 times the Lower Earnings Limit for the year in question. Class 1 (employee), Class 2 (self-employed) or Class 3 (voluntary) contributions of at least 25 times the weekly Lower Earnings Limit in any one tax year. 
			 Second Contribution Condition The late spouse or civil partner must have paid or been credited contributions for about 90% of the years in their working life. The allowance or pension is reduced if the “qualifying years” are less than this—with no payment below 25%. People entitled to WPA can also get between 50% and 100% of their late spouse or civil partner's Additional State Pension.  
			 Note: Entitlement to additional state pension arises where in a tax year the individual paid or is treated as having paid national insurance contributions as an employee on earnings of more than 52 times the Lower Earnings Limit for that tax year.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much social security spending within Total Managed Expenditure was spent on (a) working and (b) non-working people in each year since 1997; what proportion of such spending was on each benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much social security spending within total managed expenditure was spent on (a) working age and (b) non-working age people in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 DWP benefit expenditure 
			 £ billion, nominal 
			  Working age Non-working age Total 
			 1997-98 45.2 48.1 93.3 
			 1998-99 45.1 50.4 95.6 
			 1999-2000 45.2 53.8 99.0 
			 2000-01 44.2 57.1 101.4 
			 2001-02 45.4 61.3 106.7 
			 2002-03 46.9 63.4 110.3 
			 2003-04 39.4 66.4 105.8 
		
	
	
		
			 2004-05 39.8 71.3 111.1 
			 2005-06 40.3 75.5 115.8 
			 2006-07 41.2 78.0 119.2 
			 2007-08 42.6 83.3 125.9 
			 2008-09 44.8 90.6 135.4 
			 2009-10 50.9 96.6 147.6 
			 2010-11 52.5 100.4 152.9 
		
	
	
		
			 £ billion, 2011-12 prices 
			  Working age Non-working age Total 
			 1997-98 63.7 67.8 131.5 
			 1998-99 62.3 69.6 131.9 
			 1999-2000 61.2 72.8 134.1 
			 2000-01 59.1 76.3 135.4 
			 2001-02 59.3 80.1 139.4 
			 2002-03 59.4 80.3 139.6 
			 2003-04 48.5 81.8 130.2 
			 2004-05 47.7 85.4 133.1 
			 2005-06 47.4 88.8 136.2 
			 2006-07 46.9 88.8 135.7 
			 2007-08 47.2 92.2 139.3 
			 2008-09 48.2 97.6 145.8 
			 2009-10 53.9 102.3 156.3 
			 2010-11 54.0 103.3 157.3 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion, and may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures are consistent with those published following the 2011 Budget. Figures for 2010-11 are estimates and are subject to further revision. 3. Figures cover only benefits for which DWP and its predecessors had responsibility, and some elements of expenditure are no longer included in the figures due to being transferred to other Government Departments. 4. “Working age benefits” are assumed to include those paid specifically in respect of children—principally Child Benefit (up to 2002-03, after which it was transferred to HM Revenue and Customs). Source Data: DWP statistical and accounting data 
		
	
	Further benefit expenditure data can be found using the following address:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2010, Official Report, column 873W, on social security benefits: fraud, how many arrest warrants had been issued in cases where a defendant had failed to attend a hearing or trial without an explanation acceptable to the court on the most recent date for which figures are available; what the monetary value of the alleged fraud was in each such case; and how many such warrants were successfully executed in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost for the 550 cases referred to in the answer of 1 December 2010. However, information is available for arrest warrants that have been issued since November 2009 when the data began to be captured electronically.
	In the period 2 November 2009 to 14 July 2011 the Department obtained 1,188 arrest warrants in cases where a defendant failed to attend a hearing or trial without an explanation acceptable to the court. During the same period, 869 arrest warrants were executed, leaving 319 outstanding.
	I have deposited a table in the Library indicating the monetary value of each case.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to prevent benefit tourism.

Chris Grayling: We have strict rules in place to prevent abuse of the benefit system by benefit tourism. One of the principal measures is the Habitual Residence Test. People coming from abroad can claim income-related benefits only if they have a right to reside and are habitually resident in the Common Travel Area(1). Claimants are required to show that they are habitually resident in this country and have a settled intention to remain. Any exceptions (refugees, for example) are linked to the immigration status awarded by the Home Office.
	To support staff in applying the Habitual Residence Test, we recently introduced an electronic data gathering form in Jobcentre Plus. The aim is to improve both the collection of information relevant to the test, and the quality of the decisions made in respect of it.
	In addition, I have commissioned work to look at making information available on the nationality of benefit claimants. These statistics will help us identify the extent to which people from other countries are claiming benefits in the UK.
	Last month, in the EU Employment and Social Affairs Council, I called for debate on economically inactive migrants and their access to benefits—14 other member states supported me, and have also joined the UK in seeking changes to EU regulations to prevent benefit tourism.
	We recognise that it is important that we provide support to people who come to this country, in line with our national and international obligations. However, it is also necessary to protect the taxpayer and the benefit system from possible abuse.
	We are committed to ensuring that the rules governing the payment of benefits to people from abroad are kept under review.
	(1 )The UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Republic of Ireland.

Social Security Benefits: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Islington North constituency were (a) in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, (b) in receipt of income support and (c) not economically active or in receipt of benefits in each of the last 12 months for which information is available.

Chris Grayling: The numbers of people in the Islington North constituency who are claiming jobseeker's allowance, income support and the total number of people who are receiving benefits are as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Number of jobseeker's allowance claimants (b) Number of income support claimants Total number of benefit claimants (c) Total number not economically active or in receipt of benefits 
			 July 2010 3,984 — — — 
			 August 2010 3,959 6,250 12,860 — 
			 September 2010 3,948 — — 20,000 
			 October 2010 3,865 — — — 
			 November 2010 3,876 6,020 12,560 — 
			 December 2010 3,780 — — 21,800 
			 January 2011 3,871 — — — 
			 February 2011 3,827 — — — 
			 March 2011 3,772 — — — 
			 April 2011 3,911 — — — 
			 May 2011 3,896 — — — 
			 June 2011 3,869 — — — 
		
	
	The figures for jobseeker's allowance claimants are updated on our computer system on a monthly basis. However, the numbers of other benefit claimants only become available on our computer system after six months.

State Retirement Pensions

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) women and (b) men qualifying for a full state pension in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010 did so having paid national insurance contributions in excess of the necessary minimum number of qualifying years.

Steve Webb: The following table presents the estimated number of UK and overseas residents qualifying for a full basic state pension in their own right by gender and tax year of state pension age, and the estimated number of individuals with more qualifying years than necessary for a full basic state pension.
	
		
			  Tax year of state pension age 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Individuals qualifying for a full basic state pension in their own right (UK and overseas residents)    
			 Men 260,000 270,000 310,000 
			 Women 120,000 130,000 120,000 
			 Total 380,000 390,000 440,000 
			     
			 Individuals with more qualifying years than necessary for a full basic state pension (UK and overseas residents)    
			 Men 250,000 250,000 310,000 
			 Women 90,000 110,000 120,000 
			 Total 350,000 360,000 430,000 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000 individuals. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 2. People reaching state pension age from 6 April 2010 need 30 qualifying years for a full basic state pension. Men reaching state pension age before 6 April 2010 usually need 44 qualifying years for a full basic state pension. Women reaching state pension age before 6 April 2010 usually need 39 qualifying years for a full basic state pension. 3. Data are only available on contributions up to and including the 2008-09 tax year. People reaching state pension age in 2010-11 could also be awarded a qualifying year for the 2009-10 tax year. Hence the estimates in the table for the 2010-11 cohort are based on incomplete data. 4. Because of the increase in the state pension age for women born from 6 April 1950, fewer women reached state pension age in 2010-11 than in 2009-10. Source: DWP Information Directorate, Lifetime Labour Market Database 2010, 1% sample administrative data (containing information on contributions up to and including the 2008-09 tax year)

State Retirement Pensions

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the total monetary value was of employee national insurance contributions made in 2010 by (a) men and (b) women who had already made payments for the necessary minimum number of qualifying years for a full state pension;
	(2)  how many (a) male and (b) female employees who made national insurance contributions in 2010 had already made payments for the necessary minimum number of qualifying years for a full state pension.

Steve Webb: Estimates are not available for the 2010-11 tax year. The latest available estimates are in the following table, for the 2008-09 tax year.
	
		
			  Men Women Total 
			 Individuals paying Class 1 employee contributions in 2008-09 (thousand) 13,950 12,330 26,270 
			 Total paid (£ billion) 24.1 13.9 38.0 
			 Of whom:    
			 Individuals already with entitlement to a full basic state pension in their own right (thousand) 3,670 2,620 6,280 
			 Total paid (£ billion) 7.3 3.3 10.6 
			 Notes: 1. Individuals are rounded to the nearest 10,000 individuals. Amounts are rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 2. Amounts are in cash terms. 3. People reaching state pension age from 6 April 2010 need 30 qualifying years for a full basic state pension. Men reaching state pension age before 6 April 2010 usually need 44 qualifying years for a full basic state pension. Women reaching state pension age before 6 April 2010 usually need 39 qualifying years for a full basic state pension. 4. Class 1 employee contributions are paid on earnings from employment above the Primary Threshold applicable in the tax year. 5. Contributions in excess of those required for a full basic state pension may generate entitlement to additional state pension and working-age contributory benefits. Source: HMRC and DWP Information Directorate, Lifetime Labour Market Database 2010, 1% sample administrative data (containing information on contributions up to and including the 2008-09 tax year)

Unemployment: Greater London

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were registered as actively seeking work in jobcentres in (a) London, (b) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and (c) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency between January and June 2011.

Chris Grayling: The number of people who were registered as actively seeking work in London jobcentres, the London borough of Tower Hamlets and the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency between January and June 2011 are as follows:
	
		
			 2011 
			 Area January February March April May June 
			 London jobcentres 214,613 219,958 220,857 226,182 225,714 224,391 
			 London borough of Tower Hamlets 10,196 10,345 10,364 10,507 10,568 10,612 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow constituency 5,286 5,302 5,320 5,380 5,429 5,452

Unemployment: Young People

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce youth unemployment in (a) Sunderland Central constituency, (b) Sunderland and (c) the North East.

Chris Grayling: Work experience and apprenticeships are central to improving the prospects of young unemployed people across the country.
	Overall we are funding up to 100,000 work experience placements over two years. This will enable young people to undertake a period of valuable work experience lasting between two and eight weeks. Claimants in the 18-24 age group are eligible for work experience and we recently announced the widening of eligibility to include 16 and 17-year-olds in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.
	Government are funding up to 250,000 more apprenticeships in England over the next four years and we are strengthening the links between work experience and apprenticeships. Later this year work experience placements will be extended by up to four weeks where employers make a firm offer of an apprenticeship and that offer is accepted.
	We have improved our package of support to provide earlier entry to the Work programme for more vulnerable young people and are providing additional Jobcentre Plus help for 16 and 17-year-old jobseeker's allowance claimants. The flexible support that Jobcentre Plus district managers are putting in place is being bolstered with a series of Get Britain Working measures, the availability of which will vary across the country according to local circumstances and needs.

Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of universal credit on his proposals to charge parents with care who use the planned statutory maintenance service

Chris Grayling: The Government announced in ‘Strengthening families, promoting parental responsibility: the future of child maintenance’, the intention to introduce charges for using the new statutory child maintenance service.
	We do not expect the switch to universal credit to have a significant impact on a person's capacity to pay child maintenance charges. However, the Department will continue to reflect on and review the effect that universal credit proposals have on the child maintenance reforms.

Welfare to Work: Bethnal Green

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which welfare-to-work organisations operating in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency have a contract with his Department.

Chris Grayling: The following table lists the organisations that hold a contract for the delivery of contracted employment provision in Bethnal Green and Bow. Other organisations may deliver employment services on an ad-hoc basis.
	
		
			 Organisation Programme 
			 Action for Employment Work Programme(1) 
			 Seetec (1)— 
			 Careers Development Group (1)— 
			   
			 Seetec Work Choice 
			   
			 Action for Employment Jobcentre Plus Support Contract 
			   
			 Seetec Mandatory Work Activity 
			   
			 Working Links Employment Zone (contracts end 1 September 2011)(1) 
			 Reed in Partnership (1)— 
			 Avanta (1)— 
			   
			 Working Links New Deal (contract ends 1 September 2011) 
			   
			 Tomorrow's People European Social Fund (contracts end 27 July 2011) 
			 (1) Indicates a brace

Work Capability Assessment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2011, Official Report, column 653W, on employment support allowance: work capability assessment, whether (a) changes in the severity of illness occurring in different phases of medication cycles and (b) the phase of a particular applicant's medication cycle are taken into account during work capability assessments.

Chris Grayling: Healthcare professionals take account of severity of the claimant’s medical conditions, any treatment they receive and fluctuations in the disabling effects of the conditions both day to day and in the longer term as part of their assessment.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time was between the initiation of an appeal against a decision on a work capability assessment and the notification of the outcome of the appeal to the appellant in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available in the form requested. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) only records information from the point of initiation of an appeal to lodging that appeal with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). While DWP counts the overall numbers of appeals lodged, a number of these appeals will not be referred to the First-tier Tribunal. Appeals lodged with the DWP can lapse if the disputed decision is revised in the customer's favour upon reconsideration, or the customer can decide to withdraw their appeal prior to it being referred and in certain circumstances appeals can be struck out.
	HMCTS records average waiting times from the point of receipt with HMCTS to the outcome of the hearing.
	The following table shows the average time taken from submission of an appeal to DWP on a work capability decision until a decision is issued by HMCTS.
	
		
			 Weeks 
			  April 2011 May 2011 Year to date  (1) 
			 ESA(2) waiting time in DWP 6.48 6.56 6.52 
			 IB(3) waiting time in DWP 6.48 7.28 6.88 
			 ESA waiting time in HMCTS 23.55 24.82 24.2 
			 IB waiting time in HMCTS 27.15 27.58 27.37 
			 (1) Data covers from 1 April 2011 until 31 May 2011 (the latest period for which figures are available. (2) Employment and support allowance (3) Incapacity benefit 
		
	
	The DWP figures produced are internal management information for internal use only and do not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice.
	The average waiting times on a work capability assessment appeals for both ESA and IB cases are made available within the “Social Security and Child Support Statistics” which was published on 15 July on the HMCTS website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/tribunals/sscs-stats.htm

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to prioritising people waiting for an appeal against a decision of a work capability assessment to be heard who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression which could be aggravated by waiting for an outcome.

Chris Grayling: The hon. Member will no doubt be aware that a significant proportion of claimants report mental health as one of their health problems. In view of the numbers involved, it would not be appropriate to delay the appeals of others in order to prioritise the appeals of this particular group. Importantly, all claimants can continue to receive employment and support allowance at a basic rate pending the outcome of the appeal where they appeal against a limited capability for work decision.
	We have now commenced the reassessment of everyone on incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support paid because of an illness or disability to see if they are ready and capable of work. As we know that the assessment process may prove stressful for some customers we have taken a number of steps to ensure those affected are fully informed of what will happen and how it may affect them. Jobcentre Plus write to claimants when their benefit becomes due for reassessment (prompted by the date that they would have been due a Personal Capability Assessment) to tell them about the changes. We also phone the customer shortly after this to check they have received the letter and that they understand what action they need to take, and to find out if they need any extra help. We are now looking at extending this more personal treatment in response to Professor Harrington's recommendations made in his recent report on the operation of the Work Capability Assessment.
	Responsibility for administering appeals against decisions on entitlement to benefits lies with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, which is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice have confirmed that they would be willing to refer any individual request to prioritise an appeal for consideration by a Social Security and Child Support Judge, but this would only be done in exceptional cases.

HEALTH

Access to Work Programme

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 297-8W, on access to work programme, how many disabled employees of his Department are currently being provided with support under his Department’s Reasonable Adjustment policy; what proportion of his Department’s total workforce such employees represent; and what the cost to his Department of providing such support was in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: The Department considers all appropriate requests for reasonable adjustment and relies on professional occupational health advice to ensure agreed adjustments are suitable and beneficial.
	The Department does not hold central records of those staff who have a reasonable adjustment in place. Some adjustments are arranged by the local line management chain and can vary from very short-term adjustments (such as a flexible working arrangement for a member of staff returning from a spell of absence) to longer-term adjustments to address more permanent issues.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS accident and emergency departments in England are not open 24 hours a day; and what proportion of NHS accident and emergency departments this represents.

Simon Burns: Comprehensive information about opening times is not held centrally.
	There are 601 accident and emergency departments in England, including independent sector facilities.
	Of these, 196 (or 33%) are type one (major) accident and emergency departments. Type one departments by definition provide a 24 hour service. Additionally, some type two (single specialty) and type three (minor injury, walk-in centre and other urgent care) services may be open 24 hours a day.

Alzheimer's Disease: Health Services

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by primary care trusts on the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 2009-10.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally, but the NHS Information Centre has conducted a voluntary survey of primary care trust memory services, covering the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 which includes information on spend. The provisional results of the survey were published on 19 July 2011, by the NHS Information Centre and the full report will be published shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Ambulance Services: Rural Areas

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to enable all ambulance trusts to use national grid references rather than postcodes to locate emergency callers in rural areas.

Simon Burns: The management of control room functions are for the national health service ambulance service to manage locally. The Department expects trusts to ensure that its control rooms are fit for purpose and have the necessary capacity capability and resilience to deal with the requirements of a modern ambulance service. This includes effective handling of all 999 calls received so the most appropriate response is awarded based on the information the control room receives; which could include location information based on national grid references.

Anaemia

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review NHS guidance on the frequency of GP appointments for treatment of pernicious anaemia.

Paul Burstow: The Department has issued no guidance to the national health service on the treatment of pernicious anaemia. Professional guidance for general practitioners (GPs) is available from “Clinical Knowledge Summaries” and is summarised in a number of other sources readily accessible to patients and to professionals, including “NHS Choices”, the “Map of Medicine” and the website “Patient UK”. Current guidance advises GPs to monitor the response to treatment with Vitamin B12 after 10 days, and subsequently after eight weeks to confirm a normal blood count. Subsequent monitoring is generally regarded as unnecessary unless anaemia recurs.

Blood: Contamination

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason payments to haemophiliacs from the MacFarlane Trust and the Skipton Fund are not made payable to a widow, other relative or dependent of the recipient following the death of the recipient from causes attributable to the receipt of contaminated NHS blood products.

Anne Milton: The Macfarlane Trust is a discretionary scheme and can make payments, based on need, to widows, other relatives and dependents of HIV-infected beneficiaries who have died. The Caxton Foundation will have similar discretion in respect of widows, other relatives and dependents of those infected with hepatitis C when it begins its operations later this year.

Cancer

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) missed diagnoses of cancer, (b) radiotherapy errors and (c) chemotherapy errors were reported to the National Patient Safety Agency in each year since 1997.

Paul Burstow: The specific information requested is not available from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). The NPSA's National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) does not label data by clinical disorder or procedure, but rather classifies information by the generic category of the patient safety incident; for example, a medication error rather than an anti-cancer medication error.
	The NPSA does have some data, derived from thematic reviews on relevant topics, which answer part of the question:
	The NPSA's “A themed review of anticancer medicines” published in 2010, showed that between 1 November 2003 and 30 June 2008 there were 4,839 patients safety incidents involving anti-cancer medicines;
	The report “Towards safer radiotherapy” published in 2008 showed that between May 2000 and August 2006, 181 incidents affecting 338 patients were reported in the UK under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) 2000; and
	The thematic review “Delayed diagnosis of cancer” indicated that between June 2007 and May 2008 around 1,650 patient safety incidents were reported to the NRLS relating to actual or potential delayed cancer diagnosis.
	Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.

Cancer Act 1939

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of reviewing section 4 of the Cancer Act 1939.

Paul Burstow: Section 4 of the Cancer Act 1939 states that it is illegal to advertise or promote any medicines, diets or therapies as treatments or cures for cancer. The Government have given no consideration to the merits of reviewing this section of the Act.
	The Department last consulted on changes to the Act in 2006 and, subsequent to this, a Legislative Reform Order came into force in October 2008. This removed the need to consult the Attorney-General before bringing a prosecution and made clear that there is discretion on whether or not to prosecute under the Act, rather than a duty to do so.

Cancer: Drugs

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to share good examples of data reporting on the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund among strategic health authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department published ‘Guidance to support operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12’ on 23 March 2011. The guidance recommends that strategic health authorities (SHAs) make appropriate Cancer Drugs Fund activity data available on their websites. Activity data may include such items as the number of applications, approvals by drugs and indication. SHAs are recommended to update this information regularly. The guidance also recommends that SHAs make information on expenditure against the fund available on their websites. SHAs are recommended to update this information periodically.
	We understand that SHAs are working together to promote best practice in the operation of the fund.
	A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Cancer: Drugs

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether provision has been made to ensure that monthly and quarterly reporting that are required under the Department of Health's guidance on the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund will be made publicly available by strategic health authorities on a monthly basis; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made on the data that have been published by each strategic health authority on the use of the Cancer Drugs Fund since October 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: It is for strategic health authorities (SHAs) to decide what information they make available about the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in their area.
	The Department published ‘Guidance to support operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12’ on 23 March 2011. The guidance recommends that SHAs make appropriate activity data available on their websites. SHAs are recommended to update this information regularly. It also recommends that information on expenditure against the fund is made available on SHA websites and SHAs are recommended to update this information periodically.
	A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Cancer: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will hold discussions with strategic health authorities who do not follow his Department's guidance on the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of regional variations in the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We have no plans to hold discussions with strategic health authorities (SHAs) on these matters.
	The National Cancer Action Team is supporting the national health service in operating the arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund through organising national meetings of the SHA leads and facilitating the sharing of information.
	The Department published “Guidance to support operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund” in 2011-12 on 23 March 2011. It is for SHA regional clinically-led panels to make decisions on the use of this funding.
	A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Care Homes

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of care homes which may close as a result of the collapse of Southern Cross;
	(2)  whether his Department has issued guidance to local authority directors of adult social services on placing residents they fund in care homes where the operator may be an offshore company;
	(3)  what (a) financial support and (b) other support he provides to local authority directors of adult social services to help ensure that new operating companies of care homes where they fund residents have sound financial models.

Paul Burstow: No such estimate has been made at present. Southern Cross remains in operation and will continue to operate all of its care homes until any transfers to new providers have taken place.
	Under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2010, made by the previous Government under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, responsibility was given to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as regulator of health and adult social care, for determining questions of the financial viability of care providers.
	No guidance regarding the offshore status of care home operators has been issued by the Department to directors of adult social services at any point. The CQC is required to satisfy itself that any prospective care provider is capable of delivering safe, high quality care and of meeting all regulatory requirements and standards.

Care Quality Commission

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints were referred to the Care Quality Commission for independent review in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not have responsibility for second stage complaints (the independent review stage). In order to get resolution on concerns about care services, complainants should contact the provider in the first instance. If a complainant is unhappy with the response received from the provider, the complainant may then take their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman for consideration.
	The only predecessor organisation of CQC with responsibilities for 2(nd) stage complaints was the Healthcare Commission (HCC) which was responsible for reviewing complaints about NHS services. The following table shows the number of 2(nd) stage complaints received by HCC from July 2004 to 31 March 2009.
	
		
			 Financial year Healthcare Commission 
			 2008-09 6,783 
			 2007-08 7,500 
			 2006-07 6,570 
			 2005-06 7,577 
			 2004-05(1) 5,707 
			 (1) Healthcare Commission took on the role of reviewing 2(nd) stage complaints in July 2004.

Cystic Fibrosis: Nurses

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to support the provision of cystic fibrosis specialist nurse services in England.

Simon Burns: Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the work force they need.

Departmental Advertising

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on (a) television, (b) radio and (c) newspaper advertising in (i) real and (ii) nominal terms in each year since 1997-98; and how much it has so spent in total.

Simon Burns: The following tables outline the specific costs relating to the Department's advertising spend 1997-98 to 2003-04 financial years and advertising spend broken down into television, radio and newspaper media for 2004-05 on. To provide a breakdown from 1997-2004 would incur disproportionate cost.
	The financial information is not available in the format requested and to provide the information in real and nominal terms would incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 Department of Health media spend 1997-98 to 2003-04 financial years 
			  £ million 
			 1997-98 2.04 
			 1998-99 8.53 
			 1999-2000 15.70 
			 2000-01 20.78 
			 2001-02 20.35 
			 2002-03 24.85 
			 2003-04 41.12 
		
	
	
		
			 Department of Health media spend on radio, television and newspapers  ,   2004-05 to 2010-11 financial years 
			 £ million 
			  2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11  (1) 
			 Television 17.77 13.82 11.05 10.25 23.73 28.73 1.33 
			 Radio 3.74 4.09 3.53 3.16 5.10 6.58 0.57 
			 Newspapers 8.74 5.22 4.60 4.93 11.88 10.79 1.86 
			 Total 30.25 23.13 19.18 18.34 40.71 46.10 3.76 
			 (1) Figures are provisional. Notes: 1. Advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs, COI commission and VAT). 2. These figures do not include the Department's recruitment/classified advertising costs and ad hoc spend under £10,000. All figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000. 3. These figures may include occasional minor spend through COI by NHS organisations, to supplement national campaigns in their area. While this expenditure has been excluded as far as possible so that this spreadsheet reflects central departmental spend, it would incur disproportionate cost to validate that every item of NHS expenditure has been removed.

Departmental Advertising

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on (a) television, (b) radio and (c) newspaper advertising in (i) real and (ii) nominal terms between (A) May 2006 and June 2007 and (B) June 2009 and May 2010; and what the total cost to the public purse was.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not available in the required format. To produce the information outside complete financial years and in real and nominal terms would incur disproportionate costs.
	The following chart shows the Department's spend in the requested media over the four financial years covered by the scope of the question.
	
		
			 Departmental media spend on radio, television and newspapers 
			 £million 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2009-10 2010-11  (1) 
			 Television 11.05 10.25 28.73 1.33 
			 Radio 3.53 3.16 6.58 0.57 
			 Newspapers 4.60 4.93 10.79 1.86 
			 Total 19.18 18.34 46.10 3.76 
			 (1)Figures are provisional Notes: 1. Advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs, Central Office of Information (COI) commission and VAT). 2. These figures do not include the Department's recruitment/classified advertising costs and ad hoc spend under £10,000. All figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000. 3. These figures may include occasional minor spend through COI by national health service organisations, to supplement national campaigns in their area. While this expenditure has been excluded as far as possible so that this spreadsheet reflects central departmental spend, it would incur disproportionate cost to validate that every item of NHS expenditure has been removed.

Departmental Billing

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many payments to contractors have been made late by his Department in each financial year since 1997; and what the cost to the public purse was of (a) penalty charges and (b) interest for such late payments.

Simon Burns: The Department operates standard contractual payment terms of 30 days and any payments that are delayed beyond that date may be subject to interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. The Act states that suppliers who are not paid within 30 days of the receipt of the invoice by the party billed are entitled to claim interest on the delayed payment at a rate of 8% above the Bank of England base reference rate. Penalty payments may be due where a small or medium sized business obtains a ruling that any contract terms that were applied were grossly unfair.
	Details of the penalty and interest charges paid by the Department in each financial year since 1997-98 are given in the following table. Data is only available from 2001-02 when the Department introduced an Oracle based finance system (Vista), which allowed for such payment information to be collected.
	
		
			  Number of late payments Penalty charges (£) Interest charges (£) 
			 1997-98 n/a — — 
			 1998-99 n/a — — 
			 1999-2000 n/a — — 
			 2000-01 n/a — — 
			 2001-02 19,791 — — 
			 2002-03 17,412 — — 
			 2003-04 12,332 — — 
			 2004-05 21,802 — — 
			 2005-06 11,209 — — 
			 2006-07 9,929 135,000 — 
			 2007-08 1,953 — — 
			 2008-09 1,161 — 91 
			 2009-10 1,855 — — 
			 2010-11 1,525 — 183 
			 n/a = Not available 
		
	
	It should be noted that this data covers all payments made by the Department and therefore includes both commercial and non-commercial suppliers. No separate analysis of 'contractor' payments is available.

Departmental Billing

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many late payments his Department has made to contractors between (a) May 2006 and June 2007 and (b) June 2009 and May 2010; and what the total cost to the public purse was of any (i) penalty charges or (ii) interest charges incurred in those periods.

Simon Burns: The Department operates standard contractual payment terms of 30 days and any payments that are delayed beyond that date may be subject to interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. The Act states that suppliers who are not paid within 30 days of the receipt of the invoice by the party billed are entitled to claim interest on the delayed payment at a rate of 8% above the Bank of England base reference rate. Penalty payments may be due where a small or medium sized business obtains a ruling that any contract terms that were applied were grossly unfair.
	The records available relate to financial years rather than the specific months requested and so cover the periods 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 and 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 respectively. Details of the penalty and interest charges paid by the Department in each of these periods are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of late payments Penalty charges   (£) Interest charges   (£) 
			 2006-07 9,929 135,000 0 
			 2009-10 1,855 0 0 
		
	
	It should be noted that this data covers all payments made by the Department and therefore includes both commercial and non-commercial suppliers. No separate analysis of 'contractor' payments is available.

Departmental Communication

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's total expenditure on communications research has been in each financial year since 1997; and how much was spent on (a) reports on the public perceptions of the NHS, (b) stakeholder surveys, (c) national media evaluations and (d) other communications research.

Simon Burns: The Department's expenditure on all research commissioned through the Central Office of Information (COI) for the financial years 2001-02 to 2010-11 is as follows. Financial records do not provide this breakdown prior to 2001-02.
	The expenditure figures cover all research commissioned by Department through COI for the years in question, so will include projects which are not communications-related. It would incur disproportionate cost to isolate research expenditure related to communications only.
	It would also incur disproportionate cost to provide the breakdown of expenditure as requested i.e. reports on the public perceptions of the national health service, stakeholder surveys, national media evaluations and other communications research.
	This does not include costs of research which the Department commissioned directly (not via COI) which is not held centrally.
	
		
			  Total expenditure (£) 
			 2001-02 942,015 
			 2002-03 1,608,639 
			 2003-04 1,595,060 
			 2004-05 1,816,376 
			 2005-06 2,797,289 
			 2006-07 2,037,048 
			 2007-08 5,130,766 
			 2008-09 7,743,013 
			 2009-10 11,137,981 
			 2010-11 9,549,616 
			 Total 44,357,801

Departmental Internet

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his policy is on the use by commercial companies of web pages offering registration for his Department's services for a fee in cases where his Department offers registration free of charge; and what steps his Department takes to optimise search engine results for its web pages offering free registration;
	(2)  if he will discuss with (a) Google and (b) other search engine providers strategies to ensure that his Department's webpage offering free registration for European Health Insurance Cards appears in search results above websites of commercial companies charging a fee for such registrations;
	(3)  what measures are available to his Department to prevent commercial companies charging fees for web applications for European Health Insurance Cards;
	(4)  what information his Department holds on the number of services offered by his Department requiring registration to secure an entitlement for which his Department offers registration free of charge but for which commercial companies charge a fee for registration through a website;
	(5)  what information his Department holds on companies who charge for registration for the issue to UK nationals of the European Health Insurance Card.

Anne Milton: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) originates from European regulations concerning the free movement of migrant workers around Europe, and it is likely that any charge to the citizen that is over and above the cost of producing the card would be seen as a barrier to citizens accessing their rights in Europe.
	It is free of charge to apply for the card in the United Kingdom online, by phone or by post directly through the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA), which administers EHIC applications and renewals on behalf of the Department.
	Since the card's introduction in the UK, several websites have set up providing a service whereby, for a charge of around £10, they check a citizen's EHIC application and forward the application to the NHS BSA. These websites can be misleading: they sponsor links on search engines so that they appear above the Government's websites; they use official sounding language and official looking images on their websites; and they sometimes do not make it clear enough that it is free to apply directly through the NHS BSA.
	The EHIC application website and the NHS Choices website, which provides information about the EHIC, are currently the top two non-sponsored results on Google, and also feature highly on other similar search engines. The Department has also amended the wording on its website to make it clearer that there is no need to pay for the EHIC, and has taken steps to ensure that this messaging appears in the descriptions of its results on Google and other search engines.
	All digital content published on NHS Choices and on the Department's website is designed to perform well in search results.
	While the Department does not have specific details about each company that charges for checking applications for the EHIC, it has referred several websites that offer such services to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), for it to investigate and take appropriate action. On 14 July 2011, the OFT announced new investigations into the deceptive online selling of Government services, in particular those that are usually low cost or free of charge.
	The Department does not hold information on the number of commercial companies charging a fee for registration through a website for services offered by the Department free of charge, nor does it have a general policy on commercial companies offering services for a fee.

Departmental Manpower

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) names and (b) dates of service were of each special adviser in his Department since May 1997; and what the total cost to the public purse was for employing such advisers in each year between 1997 and 2010.

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed by his Department between (i) May 2006 and June 2007 and (ii) June 2009 and May 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was in (A) cash and (B) real terms of such appointments.

Simon Burns: I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Chris Skidmore) on 13 June 2011, Official Report, columns 633-34W.

Departmental Marketing

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on promotional merchandise branded with his Department's name in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: The Department advises against the use of departmental branding on products, other than on occasional low value promotional items to support specific internal initiatives or conferences. Any such items are procured by individual teams within the Department and the Department does not hold central records on which items were procured and at what cost. To provide this information would therefore incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in his Department in each financial year since 1997; and what the cost to the public purse has been for (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) the purchase of the handset.

Simon Burns: The Department does not hold detailed information on the total number of mobile telephone and BlackBerry devices allocated to staff throughout the periods requested. The following table shows the number of active BlackBerry and mobile phone devices in use by staff at the end of each of the requested financial year periods:
	
		
			 Financial year end BlackBerry Mobile telephones 
			 1997-2005 n/a n/a 
			 2005-06 78 n/a 
			 2006-07 480 n/a 
			 2007-08 756 n/a 
			 2008-09 1,098 n/a 
			 2009-10 1,409 476 
			 2010-11 1,168 590 
		
	
	The number of active mobile telephones in issue to staff is sourced from the Department's Human Resource system and not available as an historical snapshot prior to 2009-10. To obtain that information would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department does not hold the expenditure information requested in the required format for the required period. The total expenditure on mobile phone services for financial years 2006-07 to 2010-11 was:
	
		
			 Mobile telephony expenditure -1997 to 2011 
			 Financial year Total costs (£) 
			 1997-06 n/a 
			 2006-07 780,987 
			 2007-08 760,973 
			 2008-09 897,002 
			 2009-10 982,193 
			 2010-11 687,193 
		
	
	Included within these total costs are handset and line rental contracts, call and data charges for mobile telephone, BlackBerry devices and 3G data cards. The Department does not pay insurance for mobile devices.
	Prior to 2006-07, mobile telephony costs were payable from local rather than central departmental budgets and are therefore unavailable.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in his Department between (a) May 2006 and June 2007 and (b) June 2009 and May 2010; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (i) line rental, (ii) insurance and (iii) the purchase of such telecommunications equipment.

Simon Burns: The Department does not hold detailed information on the total number of mobile telephone and BlackBerry devices allocated to staff throughout the period requested. The following tables show the number of active BlackBerry and mobile phone devices in use by staff at the start and end of the requested periods:
	
		
			 Period Active   BlackBerry   devices Active mobile telephones 
			 May 2006 140 n/a 
			 June 2007 548 n/a 
			 June 2009 1,295 590 
			 May 2010 1,450 467 
		
	
	The number of active mobile telephones in issue to staff is sourced from the Department's Human Resource system and data for May 2006 and June 2007 were not recorded on the system at that time.
	The Department does not hold the expenditure information requested in the required format. The total expenditure on mobile phone services for financial years 2006-07 and 2009-10 was:
	
		
			 Mobile telephony expenditure 
			 Financial year Total costs (£) 
			 2006-07 780,987 
			 2009-10 982,193 
		
	
	Included within these total costs are handset and line rental contracts, call and data charges for mobile phone, BlackBerry devices and 3G data cards. The Department does not pay insurance for mobile devices.

Departmental Official Cars

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse has been for (a) cars leased by his Department to staff and (b) ministerial chauffeurs in each financial year since 1997.

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the public purse was of (a) cars leased by his Department to staff and (b) ministerial chauffeurs between (i) May 2006 and June 2007 and (ii) June 2009 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: Information on the costs of cars leased by the Department to staff since 1997-98 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Regarding the costs of ministerial chauffeurs, I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bristol West (Stephen Williams) on 4 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1055-56W.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual salary was of staff working in his Department in (a) nominal and (b) real terms in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: Information available on the average annual salary of staff working in the Department in nominal and real terms is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Nominal average salary Real terms average salary 
			 2003-04 34,029 41,261 
			 2004-05 37,758 44,907 
			 2005-06 39,882 46,588 
			 2006-07 41,629 47,182 
			 2007-08 42,855 47,434 
			 2008-09 44,078 47,410 
			 2009-10 44,350 46,147 
			 2010-11 to date 45,053 45,053 
		
	
	The above column of real terms (inflation-adjusted) figures are calculated using the consumer price index obtaining on 31 March for each year for which salary information is available.
	The Department changed its payroll provider in 2003-04, so to retrieve the requested information for prior years would require recourse to individual salary records and would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on (a) newspapers, magazines and periodicals, (b) landscape gardening and (c) flora in his Department in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: The following table gives expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals purchased for library use since 1997-98 and, until March 2010, for retention by individual units. Expenditure by individual units since April 2010 is not available.
	
		
			 Departmental expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals 
			 Financial year Expenditure (£) 
			 1997-98 415,890 
			 1998-99 423,560 
			 1999-2000 419,490 
			 2000-01 423,160 
			 2001-02 469,880 
			 2002-03 356,510 
			 2003-04 350,036 
			 2004-05 380,025 
			 2005-06 395,148 
			 2006-07 350,930 
			 2007-08 317,386 
			 2008-09 298,022 
			 2009-10 249,152 
			 2010-11 136,223 
		
	
	The Department's previous contract for the provision of horticultural services to its London Estate expired November 2010. As a result, we are unable to provide the previous annual costs due to the change of provider. However, for the last year of the contract, the annual spend was £17,123.54.
	Under the new contract, the departmental spend for horticultural services for the period December 2010 to November 2011 will be £7,185.40.
	We are unable to break down these figures further.

Departmental Rail Travel

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was for (a) train travel and (b) first-class train travel in each financial year since 1997 by (i) officials in his Department, (ii) Ministers in his Department and (iii) special advisers in his Department.

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was for (a) first class and (b) all train travel by (i) Ministers, (ii) staff and (iii) special advisers in his Department between (A) May 2006 and June 2007 and (B) June 2009 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: Data from our central travel contracts is not available before April 2004. It is not possible to distinguish between travellers without incurring disproportionate cost. The cost of first class rail travel and all rail travel from the central travel contract is as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  First class rail Total rail spend 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 3,143,724 3,787,008 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 4,004,085 5,369,085 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 3,094,069 4,675,029 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 3,594,495 5,271,933 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 4,795,247 7,231,797 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 3,647,863 6,751,888 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 1,028,718 4,216,641 
			    
			 May 2006 to June 2007 4,469,481 6,580,494 
			 June 2009 to May 2010 4,025,146 6,586,998

Departmental Stationery

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was for stationery purchases by his Department in each financial year between 1997 and 2010.

Simon Burns: Information on stationery spend is not held centrally before 2006. Spend on stationery purchased through the stationery contract for the Department since 2006 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 1,648,905.29 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 1,472,923.37 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 776,550.73 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 690,632.74 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 404,888.66 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 231,049.81

Departmental Stationery

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the public purse was of stationery purchased by his Department between (a) May 2006 and June 2007 and (b) June 2009 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: Spend on stationery purchased through the stationery contract for the Department was:
	May 2006 to June 2007: £1,596,546.96
	June 2009 to May 2010: £388,306.35.

Departmental Training

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) away days and (b) team building excursions have taken place in his Department in each financial year between 1997 and 2010; and if he will publish (i) the date of each event, (ii) the location of each event, (iii) the number of attendees and (iv) the itemised cost to the public purse for each event.

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) away day and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in his Department between (A) May 2006 and June 2007 and (B) June 2009 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department is strongly committed to developing its staff and equipping them with the skills, knowledge and expertise they need to carry out their work roles effectively. Away days and team building events make a significant contribution to such development.
	Away days and team building activities are typically arranged by individual teams in the Department. No central records of these events are kept so extracting the requested data would incur disproportionate costs.

Diseases: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) undertaken and (b) plans to undertake into the effects of early diagnosis and treatment of (i) cancer and (ii) other diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Policy Research Programme (PRP) fund a wide range of research relating to early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases.
	The PRP is funding the Policy Research Unit in Cancer Awareness, Screening and Early Diagnosis at Queen Mary university of London.
	The NIHR School for Primary Care Research comprises the leading academic centres for primary care research in England. One of the school's five programmes of research is in prevention and early diagnosis.
	NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs) are collaborative partnerships between a university and the surrounding national health service organisations, focused on improving patient outcomes through the conduct and application of applied health research. Many of the nine CLAHRCs have research and implementation themes relating to early diagnosis and treatment.
	Details of projects funded through programmes managed by the NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) can be found on the CCF website at:
	www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/FundedProgrammes.aspx
	Details of projects funded through programmes managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Centre (NETSCC) can be found on the NETSCC website at:
	www.netscc.ac.uk
	Details of studies hosted by the NIHR Clinical Research Network can be found on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio database at:
	http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
	Details of research funded by the PRP are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Researchanddevelopment/Policyresearchprogramme/index.htm

Diseases: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects on national health service expenditure of the (a) early diagnosis and (b) treatment of (i) cancer and (ii) other diseases; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the effects on mortality rates of the early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of (i) cancer and (ii) other diseases; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what plans he has to improve early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of (i) cancer and (ii) other diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We are providing £750 million over the next four years to support the national health service to deliver “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January 2011. The strategy sets out an ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15 through early diagnosis of symptomatic cancer and improved access to screening and radiotherapy treatment.
	It is now accepted that late diagnosis is one of the main reasons our cancer survival rates are worse than many other European countries. To understand the reasons for this disparity we are leading an International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership to explore the impact of the stage of diagnosis and access to treatment by surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy on avoidable deaths from cancer.
	We know that for many other conditions earlier diagnosis is also an important factor in delivering better outcomes. That is why to achieve earlier diagnosis of dementia, we are working in partnership with the Alzheimer's Society on the Living Well with Dementia campaign. In March we launched a one-month pilot in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber to help people to recognise dementia symptoms and we are now evaluating the impact of the campaign.
	Our Mental Health Strategy, “No Health Without Mental Health”, also highlights the importance of prevention and early intervention, as half of those with lifetime mental health problems first experience symptoms before the age of 14. This is why we are working in partnership with the Department for Education and Schools to consider how schools can best support children and on the roll-out of interventions to help the most vulnerable children.
	Prevention as well as earlier diagnosis is an important factor in delivering better outcomes. This is why we are undertaking prevention activity in a number of areas. For example, through the NHS Health Check we are working to identify people aged 40-74 at risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and to support them to reduce or manage that risk through individually tailored advice and support.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is also developing a range of Quality Standards to support the early diagnosis and treatment of people with a wide range of conditions.

Diseases: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) other Ministers and (d) officials in his Department plan to attend the UN Non-Communicable Diseases High Level Meeting in September 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: We expect a Health Minister to attend the UN High Level meeting in September and to be supported by officials as appropriate. A final decision on the composition of the United Kingdom delegation will be made closer to the time. The decision will take into account how best to represent UK interests, given the domestic and global priority attached to tackling non-communicable diseases, as well as the need for efficient use of taxpayers' money in funding overseas trips.

Doctors: Communication Skills

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training in communications skills new doctors are required to undertake.

Anne Milton: Communication skills are an important part of medical training. The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is the competent authority for medical training in the United Kingdom. GMC is an independent professional body.
	The GMC has statutory responsibility to determine the extent and knowledge and skill required for the granting of primary medical qualifications in the UK. Their recommendations on undergraduate medical education are contained in ‘Tomorrow's Doctors’ (2009) which includes clear guidance on ensuring doctors are able to communicate effectively with patients.
	The next stage of training after graduation from a medical school is the Foundation Programme which is managed by the UK Foundation Programme Office. The Foundation Programme curriculum sets out specific competences which doctors must acquire in their relationship with patients and in communication skills.
	Postgraduate medical training curricula are developed by the medical Royal Colleges with common competences that should be acquired by all doctors identified by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in their document Competences Framework for Doctors (2009). This also contains guidance on communication skills and interaction with patients.

Drugs: Health Education

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's expenditure was on the FRANK drug awareness campaign in each year since its introduction.

Anne Milton: FRANK is the national drugs internet information and advice service funded by the Department, the Home Office and the Department for Education. The Department contributed the following amounts by year to the FRANK campaign. (In this context, the FRANK campaign refers to all communication activity including the helpline, website, SMS, email, Bot, literature, and all marketing and public relations activity.)
	
		
			  £ 
			 2003-04 1,750,000 
			 2004-05 2,620,000 
			 2005-06 3,260,000 
			 2006-07 3,130,000 
			 2007-08 2,000,000 
			 2008-09 2,400,000 
			 2009-10 2,000,000 
			 2010-11 152,000

Drugs: Young People

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people between the ages of 16 and 18 were treated for substance misuse in each of the last five years; and what proportion of these young people were care leavers.

Anne Milton: Figures for the numbers of young people between the ages of 16 and 18 accessing substance misuse services were reported in ‘Substance misuse among young people: the data for 2009-10’, published by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse in December 2010. The following table, taken from the report, contains the most recently published data.
	
		
			 Numbers accessing substance misuse services: trends for 16 to 18-year-olds 
			 Age 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 16-17 4,347 5,315 5,987 6,133 5,823 
			 17-18 4,780 6,019 6,624 6,663 6,701 
			 Source: National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) 
		
	
	The National Drug Treatment Monitoring system (NDTMS) does not collect data on young people who are care leavers.

Epilepsy: Older People

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what 
	(1)  assessment he has made of the level of care offered by the NHS to older people with epilepsy; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  information his Department holds on the proportion of over-65s with epilepsy who have (a) attended a first seizure clinic, (b) been referred to tertiary services, (c) received an individual care plan and (d) had an epilepsy review in the last 12 months;
	(3)  information his Department holds on the proportion of over-65s with epilepsy who have been treated in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guidelines of 2004;
	(4)  information his Department holds on the proportion of NHS geriatricians who have received training in epilepsy.

Paul Burstow: None of the information requested is collected by the Department. Local health bodies have the responsibility for ensuring they commission services to meet the local needs of all their resident population living with epilepsy.
	Health professionals have responsibility for using their clinical judgement to decide on the appropriate care for an individual, National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines are not mandatory.

Epilepsy: Older People

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the level of (a) misdiagnosis and (b) referral for surgery in over-65s with epilepsy;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on the proportion of over-65s with epilepsy who (a) are free from seizures, (b) have access to an epilepsy specialist nurse and (c) have been seen by an epilepsy specialist neurologist in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what information his Department holds on trends in mortality due to epilepsy in the over-65s;
	(4)  what information his Department holds on the incidence of epilepsy in (a) the over-65s and (b) the over-80s.

Paul Burstow: None of the information requested is collected by the Department.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) estimate his Department has made and (b) data it has on the probable cost of adding fluoride to the water supply in Southampton and Totton; and what account he will take of opposition by (i) the public and (ii) relevant local authorities when deciding whether to make Government funds available for this purpose.

Anne Milton: Under Section 87 of the Water Industry Act 1991 strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for fluoridation. The only estimate of the cost of the Southampton scheme held by the Department is the figure of £471,000 included in the consultation document published by South Central SHA in September 2008. We understand that the SHA intends to fund implementation of the scheme from its capital allocation, which it may use at its discretion.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects local authorities to take over responsibility for deciding if water supplies should be fluoridated; and whether this (a) could and (b) will be earlier than the delayed date for the abolition of strategic health authorities.

Anne Milton: Following the Government's acceptance of the recommendations of the NHS Future Forum, strategic health authorities will now continue in place up until April 2013. Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill 2011, which contains the necessary legislative changes, local authorities will become responsible for consultations on fluoridation schemes from April 2013.

General Practitioners

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS GP consultations have taken place in each year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: Figures on the actual numbers of patients who were seen by a general practitioner (GP) are not collected. The latest data on the estimated number of GP consultations, based on a sample, in England is available and shown as follows:
	
		
			  Estimated number of GP consultations in England per year 
			 1997 163,200,000 
			 1998 158,200,000 
			 1999 155,500,000 
			 2000 155,100,000 
			 2001 161,900,000 
			 2002 162,100,000 
			 2003 168,900,000 
			 2004 170,900,000 
			 2005 175,400,000 
			 2006 181,400,000 
			 2007 185,300,000 
			 2008 189,000,000 
			 Note: Data on GP Consultations has not been collected since 2008. Source:  NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care/QResearch: Trends in Consultations Rates in General Practice 1995 to 2008: Analysis of the QResearch Database.

General Practitioners

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP appointments have been made in England in each year since 1997; and how many of these appointments have been (a) missed or (b) rescheduled in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect data centrally on numbers of general practitioner appointments, nor on those missed or rescheduled.

General Practitioners

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reviews his Department has produced of (a) practice-based commissioning, (b) GP fund holding and (c) total purchasing; and if he will publish those reviews.

Simon Burns: The Impact Assessment that was published alongside the Health and Social Care Bill in January contains a review of general practitioner fund holding, total purchasing pilots and practice-based commissioning. No further formal reviews have been produced by the Department.

Health Professions: Manpower

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) GPs, (b) health visitors, (c) nurses and (d) school nurses there were per capita in England in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The following table gives the numbers requested in each year since 1997.
	
		
			 Total general practitioners (GPs), health visitors, nursing staff and school nurses per capita in England as at 1997-2010 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
			 Total headcount        
			 Total GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 28,046 28,251 28,467 28,593 28,802 29,202 30,358 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 318,856 323,457 329,637 335,952 350,381 367,520 386,359 
			 of which:        
			 Health visitors 12,410 12,572 12,800 12,827 13,053 12,774 12,984 
			 School nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 476 
			         
			 Headcount per 100.000 population        
			 Total GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 57.6 57.9 58.1 58.1 58.2 58.8 60.9 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 655.2 662.5 672.3 682.4 708.6 740.2 774.8 
			 of which:        
			 Health visitors 25.5 25.8 26.1 26.1 26.4 25.7 26.0 
			 School nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1.0 
		
	
	
		
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010  (1) 
			 Total headcount        
			 Total GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 31,523 32,738 33,091 33,364 34,010 35,917 35,120 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 397,515 404,161 398,335 399,597 408,160 417,164 410,615 
			 of which:        
			 Health visitors 13,303 12,818 12,034 11,569 11,190 10,859 10,375 
			 School nurses 856 943 1,129 1,227 1,447 1,620 1,467 
			         
			 Headcount per 100.000 population        
			 Total GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 62.9 64.9 65.2 65.3 66.1 69.3 67.2 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 793.3 800.9 784.7 781.9 793.1 805.2 786.1 
			 of which:        
			 Health visitors 26.5 25.4 23.7 22.6 21.7 21.0 19.9 
			 School nurses 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.4 2.8 3.1 2.8 
			 n/a = Not available. School nurses did not become a mandatory return until 2004. Figures for 2003 may not represent a full dataset. (1) The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September for each year except GP data 1997-99, as at 1 October. 2. Per Capita statistics displayed are staff numbers per 100,000 head of population in England, using Office for National Statistics resident population estimates for each year. 3. Total qualified nursing staff includes GP practice nurses. Data quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Sources: 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 2. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census Office for National Statistics. 3. 1997-2010 Final Mid-Year Population Estimates (1991, 2001 census based). 2002-08 data was adjusted May 2010 to reflect revisions to migration.

Health Professions: Pay

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish instructions given by Ministers in his Department to the Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration Board between 1997 and 2010.

Simon Burns: The terms of reference given to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) between 1997-2010 is published in the DDRB review body reports. Copies of these reports have already been placed in the Library. There was no formal DDRB report for 2011. The approach for the 2011-12 DDRB pay round is set out in Secretary of State's letter of 19 August 2010 to the DDRB Chair. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library. The four Health Departments also commissioned, in August 2010, a review of:
	“compensation levels, incentives and the Clinical Excellence and Distinction award schemes for NHS consultants.”
	A copy of the terms of reference for this review has also been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the NHS budget of providing NHS treatment for non-EU nationals.

Simon Burns: Entitlement to free national health service hospital treatment is based on residency in the United Kingdom. Some categories of visitors are also exempted from charges as set out in the ‘NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2011’. Through these regulations some non-European Union nationals will receive free treatment. The Department does not hold data on the nationality of those whose treatment is provided for by the NHS budget.
	Other non-EU nationals, together with UK nationals who are not ordinarily resident here are charged by hospitals for the costs of their treatment. Some charges are not recovered creating a cost to the NHS. The following table shows the total audited losses, bad debts and claims abandoned for all chargeable patients for years 2007-08 to 2009-10, for England.
	
		
			  Bad debts and claims abandoned in respect of overseas patients (£) 
			 2007-08 6,468,751 
			 2008-09 5,204,856 
			 2009-10 6,967,780 
			 Note: We do not collect data from NHS foundation trusts so figures exclude these sites. Source: NHS Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules. 
		
	
	On 18 March 2011, we published a response to an earlier consultation on ‘Access to the NHS by Foreign Nationals’. In this response, we announced that the Government will conduct a full, wide-ranging review of the rules and practices relating to charging overseas visitors for using the NHS. It is hoped that this will be completed and put out to public consultation by early next year.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many non-UK EU nationals were treated by the NHS in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what costs for NHS treatment of non-UK EU nationals were (a) reimbursed by the relevant member state and (b) not eligible for reimbursement in the latest period for which figures are available; and whether there is a maximum amount other EU member states will pay for treatment of their citizens by the NHS;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the costs of treating non-UK EU nationals on the NHS in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Under European Union (EU) Regulations, the United Kingdom is entitled to claim back the full costs of treating citizens from the EU if they access national health service treatment as a state pensioner and their dependent, a temporary visitor, a posted worker by a company in another member state or a dependent of a worker. Under these Regulations, the expected value of UK claims for 2009-10 against other member states is £57 million.
	Member states are not entitled to claim back the costs of treating citizens, of working age, who are lawfully resident and working in that member state, irrespective of nationality. This is because such individuals are contributing to the social security system of that country. Consequently, the Department does not hold data as to how many non UK EU nationals were treated, or the associated cost.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that patients admitted to NHS hospitals who are not entitled to free NHS treatment are obliged to refund costs;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received in respect of the cost of treatment provided by the NHS to patients who are not entitled to free NHS treatment;
	(3)  what his policy is in respect of claiming the cost of treatment provided by the NHS to patients who are not entitled to free NHS treatment.

Anne Milton: The ‘NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2011’ impose a statutory duty on national health service hospitals to identify persons who are chargeable and to make and recover such charges from them.
	The Department's ‘Guidance on Implementing the Overseas visitors Hospital Charging Regulations’, makes clear that hospitals are obliged to recover debts and should pursue them to whatever extent they consider reasonable in the circumstances. They have the option to write off debts when it would not be reasonable to pursue them, such as when the patient is genuinely without funds or has died, or attempts to secure the debt are unsuccessful. I understand that most hospitals choose to make use of debt recovery companies if initial attempts at recovery prove unsuccessful.
	In its response to a public consultation on 18 March 2011, the Home Office announced plans to refuse further requests for visas to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for persons with unpaid debts for NHS treatment in excess of £1,000. These new immigration rules are expected to be introduced in the autumn.
	A search of the Department's correspondence database has identified 43 items of correspondence received since 1 January 2011 about the cost of treatment provided by the NHS to patients who are not entitled to free NHS treatment. This is a minimum figure which represents correspondence received by the Department's central correspondence team only. Over the same period, the Department has also received 16 parliamentary questions.
	On 18 March 2011, Ministers published a response to an earlier consultation on ‘Access to the NHS by Foreign Nationals’ that had received 166 responses. In their response, Ministers announced that the Government will conduct a full, wide-ranging review of the rules and practices relating to charging overseas visitors for using the NHS. It is hoped that this will report early next year.

Hospital Beds

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) beds and (b) beds per 100,000 population there were (i) in the NHS and (ii) in each strategic health authority area in each year since 1997-98;
	(2)  how many acute care beds per 100,000 population have been provided in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority area in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish any reviews commissioned by his Department regarding Mixed Sex Accommodation in NHS trusts between 1997 and 2010.

Simon Burns: Mixed sex accommodation has no place in a modern national health service that puts patients first. The greater transparency that this Government have introduced has now driven unjustified instances of mixed sex accommodation down by over 84% since December 2010.
	During the period in question, major reviews of progress were carried out in 2004 (published 2005), 2007 and 2009. These reviews, “Elimination of Mixed Sex Hospital Accommodation, Privacy and Dignity—a report by the Chief Nursing Officer into mixed sex accommodation in hospitals” and “The Story so far—Delivering same-sex accommodation—a progress report” respectively, have been placed in the Library.
	In addition, a number of less formal exercises to gather information were undertaken. The cost to identify and publish these reviews is deemed to be disproportionate.

Hospitals: Admissions

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency bed days there have been in the NHS in England (a) in total and (b) expressed as a proportion of the total number of bed days in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 Total finished consultant episode (FCE) bed days and count and proportion of FCE bed days  (1)   where the method of admission  (2)   was a emergency in England from 1997-98 to 2009-10  (3)  : Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Total FCE bed days Emergency FCE bed days Proportion of emergency FCE bed days (percentage) 
			 2009-10 51,493,494 33,266,856 64.6 
			 2008-09 51,841,443 33,275,501 64.2 
			 2007-08 51,106,621 32,457,693 63.5 
			 2006-07 53,137,106 33,937,718 63.9 
			 2005-06 56,943,948 36,006,043 63.2 
			 2004-05 58,399,338 37,130,383 63.6 
			 2003-04 58,375,301 37,340,322 64.0 
			 2002-03 59,290,919 37,188,864 62.7 
			 2001-02 61,073,567 36,740,738 60.2 
			 2000-01 59,577,050 36,605,598 61.4 
			 1999-2000 59,494,196 35,366,436 59.4 
			 1998-99 62,952,038 35,681,917 56.7 
			 1997-98 64,842,364 35,713,337 55.1 
			 (1) Episode duration (FCE bed days) Episode duration is calculated as the difference in days between the episode start date and the episode end date, where both are given. Episode duration is based on FCEs and only applies to ordinary admissions, i.e. day cases are excluded (unless otherwise stated). (2) Method of admission This is the sum of the episode duration for all FCEs that ended within the financial year. This field does not include bed days where the episode was unfinished at the end of the financial year. To identify bed days as emergency bed days we have filtered the total bed days figures by admission method indicating the admission was an emergency (codes 21 to 24 and 28). 21 = Emergency: via Accident and Emergency (A&E) services, including the casualty department of the provider 22 = Emergency: via general practitioner (GP) 23 = Emergency: via Bed Bureau, including the Central Bureau 24 = Emergency: via consultant out-patient clinic 28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another health care provider (3) Assessing growth through time Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Note: Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English IMHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Admissions

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency readmissions there have been in the NHS in each financial year since 1997-98; and what the rate of patients readmitted as an emergency in the NHS was for each such year.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of emergency admissions within 28 days of previous discharge from hospital, both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the total number of hospital admissions, is set out in the following table for the years currently available. Admissions for maternity and obstetrics, mental health specialities, and cancer treatment are excluded. Figures for different years are not fully comparable because of differences in case mix.
	
		
			 Emergency readmissions 
			 National summary of data from the “Compendium of clinical and health indicators”, NCHOD June 2011 
			  1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 
			 Total number of emergency readmissions within 28 days of previous discharge(1)      
			 0-15 60,531 60,334 59,268 62,092 61,411 62,714 66,014 72,347 72,856 77,655 82,869 
			 16-74 204,905 207,017 210,914 212,302 216,541 243,268 268,251 292,754 302,021 309,658 331,851 
			 75+ 94,283 96,329 99,262 101,865 108,607 123,672 139,007 152,279 154,056 159,135 176,701 
			 All ages 359,719 363,680 369,444 376,259 386,559 429,654 473,272 517,380 528,933 546,448 591,421 
			         
			 Number of emergency readmissions as a proportion of all admissions (percentage)(2)     
			 0-15 8.09 8.22 8.30 8.44 8.52 8.49 8.91 9.38 9.53 10.01 10.35 
			 16-74 7.25 7.45 7.57 7.69 7.67 8.09 8.63 9.01 9.25 9.39 9.80 
			 75+ 10.46 10.80 11.05 11.23 11.66 12.36 13.29 13.90 13.91 14.08 14.61 
			 All ages 8.04 8.25 8.40 8.55 8.6 9.05 9.67 10.12 10.30 10.50 10.96 
			 (1 )Emergency readmissions are defined as emergency admissions within 28 days of discharge from hospital from a previous admission. The two admissions do not have to be for the same condition or at the same hospital. Episodes coded as maternity or mental health, or episodes with a diagnosis of cancer, are excluded. See the NCHOD website for further detail on the definitions. (2 )Figures for different years are not directly comparable because of changes in case mix. For a comparable run of figures, standardised to adjust for differences in age, sex, method of admission, diagnosis and procedure see the detailed tables on the NCHOD website. Source:  National Centre for Health Outcomes Development “Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base”, June 2011. Now maintained by the NHS Information Centre and available at  http://www.nchod.nhs.uk/  Data for 1998-99 is from the previous update of the compendium and may not be fully comparable with that for later years.

Hospitals: Information

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of potential cost savings in using existing patient bedside systems to deliver information to (a) patients and (b) service users.

Simon Burns: No assessments have been made of potential cost savings in using the existing patient bedside systems in delivering information to patients and service users. The Department does not collect information relating to the cost of these services.
	It is not appropriate for Ministers to become involved in the micromanagement of these services; these are matters for national health service organisations to determine locally.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the size of the NHS waiting list per 100,000 population was in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The following table shows the available data for total numbers of patients waiting for an in-patient admission, for a first out-patient appointment and on referral to treatment (RTT) pathways and the numbers per 100,000 population, at the end of March in each financial year from 1996-97 to 2010-11.
	
		
			  In-patient waiting list Out-patient waiting list RTT incomplete pathways England population (Thousands) In-patient waiting list per 100,000 population Out-patient waiting list per 100,000 population RTT incomplete pathways per 100,000 population 
			 1996-97 1,131,201 n/a n/a 48,665 2,324 n/a n/a 
			 1997-98 1,276,965 n/a n/a 48,821 2,616 n/a n/a 
			 1998-99 1,060,356 n/a n/a 49,033 2,163 n/a n/a 
			 1999-2000 1,024,654 n/a n/a 49,233 2,081 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 995,123 n/a n/a 49,450 2,012 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 1,021,604 n/a n/a 49,649 2,058 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 975,338 n/a n/a 49,863 1,956 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 890,205 n/a n/a 50,110 1,777 n/a n/a 
			 2004-05 808,810 1,305,043 n/a 50,466 1,603 2,586 n/a 
			 2005-06 771,123 1,141,343 n/a 50,764 1,519 2,248 n/a 
			 2006-07 691,939 953,270 n/a 51,106 1,354 1,865 n/a 
			 2007-08 526,237 754,971 3,056,710 51,465 1,023 1,467 5,939 
			 2008-09 565,822 907,746 2,360,453 51,810 1,092 1,752 4,556 
			 2009-10 614,121 974,064 2,420,535 52,234 1,176 1,865 4,634 
			 2010-11 n/a n/a 2,455,424 52,577 n/a n/a 4,670 
			 Definitions: In-patient—patients waiting for inpatient admission following a decision to admit. Out-patient—patients waiting for first outpatient appointment following general practitioner referral. RTT—patients on an incomplete pathway following referral, regardless of position on pathway. Sources: Department of Health monthly monitoring and RTT returns. Office for National Statistics population figures.

Hotels

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was for (a) hotel accommodation and (b) four or five star hotel accommodation for (i) civil servants in his Department, (ii) Ministers in his Department and (iii) special advisers in his Department in each financial year since 1997.

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of (a) four star, (b) five star and (c) other hotel accommodation for (i) staff, (ii) Ministers and (iii) special advisers in his Department between (A) May 2006 and June 2007 and (B) June 2009 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: Data from our central contracts is not available before November 2006. It is not possible to distinguish between the class of hotel or traveller without incurring disproportionate cost. The cost of hotel accommodation from the central contract data is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 November 2006 to March 2007 447,318.79 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 1,247,608.81 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 1,633,839.11 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 1,752,877.82 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 1,327,827.22 
			 April 2011 to date 189,924.52 
			   
			 November 2006 to June 2007 725,261.06 
			 June 2009 to May 2010 1,752,534.93

James Cook University Hospital: Ambulance Services

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average emergency ambulance journey time was to James Cook University Hospital from Darlington in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not centrally held. The Department does not collect information on the average ambulance journey times by national health service ambulance trusts. The hon. Member may wish to approach the chief executive of Newcastle Primary Care Trust, which is the lead commissioner for the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and the chief executive of the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust direct, which may hold some relevant information.

Learning Disability

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average minimum lifetime financial requirements of an adult with learning disabilities who has (a) high, (b) moderate and (c) low care needs.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally.

Mass Media

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse has been for the production of his Department's national media coverage evaluations in each month for which one was produced since May 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department does not hold central records on the cost of media coverage evaluation and attempting to gather information for each month since 1997 would incur disproportionate costs.

Mass Media

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press briefings were held by his Department in each month between May 1997 and May 2010; and what the subject of each such press briefing was.

Simon Burns: The Department has held a number of briefings for media since 1997 on policy announcements and public health issues, including weekly briefings on pandemic flu in 2009.
	The Department does not maintain a central record of when media briefings have been held, or on which subject. Nor as a matter of routine does the Department's media centre keep the dates and subject matter of media briefings from each year.
	Since May 2010, media briefings have included one on 30 November 2010 on publication of the White Paper “Healthy Lives, Healthy People”, and on 12 July 2010 on publication of the White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS”.

Mass Media

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the public purse was of his Department's national media coverage evaluations in each month between (a) May 2006 and June 2007 and (b) June 2009 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department does not hold central records on the cost of media coverage evaluation in each month between (a) May 2006 and June 2007 and (b) June 2009 and May 2010, and attempting to gather information for each month would incur disproportionate costs.

Midwives: Manpower

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2010, Official Report, columns 782-3W, on maternity services, whether the national assessment of midwifery workforce needs has completed; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department has commissioned the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) to provide intelligence and information on the national maternity workforce. The CfWI will report back early in 2012 with their findings to inform future local workforce planning and commissioning decisions.

Milk: Contamination

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when milk supplies from dairy farms in Somerset were last tested for contamination with (a) iodine 131, (b) strontium 90, (c) caesium 137 and (d) plutonium.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advise that, as part of a routine radiological monitoring programme, samples of milk are regularly taken from six farms around the Hinkley Point nuclear site in Somerset. The most recent testing of milk samples from Somerset was in May 2011. The analytical method used can detect for the presence of both Caesium-137 and Iodine-131. Neither of these radionuclides were detected in the samples in May and are not routinely detected in samples from Somerset.
	No routine testing for plutonium or strontium is carried out on milk samples from around nuclear power stations as they do not routinely discharge any of these radionuclides. However, dairy milk samples are collected from 34 locations and analysed for strontium. Although two of these locations are in the south west, none are in Somerset.
	Results of this monitoring programme are published annually in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment report (RIFE) at:
	www.food.gov.uk/science/surveillance/radiosurv/rife/
	and interim provisional results are published twice per year on the FSA website at:
	www.food.gov.uk/science/surveillance/radiosurv/rife/radsurv2010

NHS Walk-in Centres

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attendances at walk-in centres there have been in each year since 2002; what the cost has been for the (a) establishment and (b) maintenance of walk-in centres in each year; and what the average cost of an attendance at (i) a walk-in centre and (ii) a GP surgery was in each year since 2002.

Simon Burns: Since 2003-04, data on the numbers of visits to national health service walk-in centres have been collected on a quarterly basis. Annual figures are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Accident and Emergency (A&E) attendances 
			  Type 4 Departments—NHS walk-in centres 
			 2003-04 1,381,841 
			 2004-05 2,031,430 
			 2005-06 2,509,957 
			 2006-07 2,372,992 
			 2007-08 2,392,365 
			 2008-09 2,514,690 
			 2009-10 2,699,798 
			 2010-11 2,486,793 
			 Source: Department of Health—Quarterly Monitoring of A&E 
		
	
	NHS walk-in centres are now the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) and are funded and run in the same way as other front-line NHS services. Before this responsibility was handed over in 2005-06, host PCTs for these sites received 75% to 80% of their funding from a central budget of £33 million—an average of £750,000 per site, ranging from £390,000 to £1.3 million. The Department has no further figures relating to the costs of NHS walk-in centres.
	No central data are held on the average cost of a consultation at a NHS walk-in centre The following table shows average cost per consultation undertaken in general practice.
	
		
			 GP average surgery consultation costs 
			  Average cost per consultation (£) 
			 2002-03 16.8 
			 2003-04 18.0 
			 2004-05 22.1 
			 2005-06 24.5 
			 2006-07 24.0 
			 2007-08 23.7 
			 2008-09 23.8

NHS: Competition

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish any reviews commissioned by his Department regarding the use of (a) patient choice and (b) competition in NHS trusts between 1997 and 2010.

Simon Burns: Reports received by or commissioned by the Department would not normally be published by the Department but rather published by the institution responsible for the work.
	For example, the Department commissioned a comprehensive report on Patient Choice from the Kings fund which was published in 2010:
	www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/patient_choice.html
	Further evidence that the Department has considered in relation to choice and competition can be found in the relevant impact assessments relating to the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 (published in January 2011):
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583
	and to the guidance on extending patient choice of provider (published July 2011):
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_128455
	Additionally, it is the responsibility of the Co-operation and Competition Panel (CCP) to publish completed reviews regarding potential breaches of the Principles and Rules for Co-operation and Competition, and proposed mergers of providers of NHS services.
	Any reviews which the CCP has completed are available to view on their website:
	www.ccpanel.org.uk
	The following is a list of evidence the Department has considered for choice and competition policies. This list is not exhaustive, but an indication of some of the key evidence sources of which the Department is aware:
	Bloom, N., Propper, C, Seller, S. and Van Reenan, J. (2010) The Impact of Competition on Management Quality: Evidence from Public Hospitals CMPO WP 10/237
	Cooper, Z., Gibbons, S., Jones, S. and McQuire, A. (2010a) Does Hospital Competition Save Lives? Evidence from The English NHS Patient Choice Reforms, LSE WP 16/2010
	Copper, Z., Gibbons, S., Jones, S. and McQuire, A. (2010b) Does Hospital Competition Improve Efficiency? An Analysis of the Recent Market-Based Reforms to the English NHS CEP discussion paper no.988
	Dixon, A. and LeGrand. J., (2006) “Is greater patient choice consistent with equity? The case of the English NHS”. “Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, vol 11, no3, pp 162-6
	Dranove, D and Statterthwaite, M. (1992) Monopolistic Competition When Price and Quality Are Not Perfectly Observable Rand Journal of Economics, 23,247-262
	Gaynor, M., Moreno-Serra, R. and Propper, C. (2010) Death by Market Power: Reform, Competition and Patient Outcomes in the NHS CMPO WP 10/242
	Gaynor, M. (2004) Competition and quality in hospital markets. What do we know? What don't we know? Economic Publique 15, 3-40
	Gowrisankaran, G. and Town, R. J. (2003) Competition, Payers, and, Hospital Quality Health Services Research 38, 1403-1422
	Hamilton, B. H. and Bramley-Harker, R. E. (1999) The impact of the NHS Reforms on Queues and Surgical Outcomes in England: Evidence from hip fracture Patients The Economic Journal 109, 437-462
	Hughes, R. G. and Luft, H. (1991) Service Patterns in Local Hospital Markets: Complementary or Medical Arms Race Health Service Management Research 4, 131-139
	Joskow, P (1980) The effects of Competition and Regulation on Hospital Bed Supply and the reservation Quality of the Hospital Bell Journal of Economics III, 421-447
	Klein, R. (1999) Markets, Politicians and the NHS British Medical Journal 319, 1383-1384 Le Grand, J. (1999) Competition, Cooperation or Control? Tales from the British National Health Services Health Affairs 18, 27-39
	OECD Health Data 2010
	Propper, C, (1996) Market Structure and Prices: The response of Hospitals in the UK National Health Service to Competition Journal of Public Economics
	Propper, C, Burgess, S., and Gossage, D. (2008) Competition and Quality: Evidence from the internal Market 1991-1996 The Economic Journal 118,138-170
	Propper, C, Burgess, S., and Green, K. (2004) Does Competition Between Hospitals Improve the Quality of Care? Hospital Death Rates and the NHS Internal Market Journal of Public Economics, 88, 1247-1272
	Propper, C, Wilson, D. and Soderlund, N. (1998) The effects of Regulation and Competition in the NHS Internal Market: The case of GP Fundholder Prices Journal of Health Economics 17, 645-674
	Soderland, N., CSABA, I., Gray, A., Milne, R. and Raferty, J. (1997) Impact of the NHS Reforms on English hospital productivity: an analysis of the first three years British Medical Journal 315, U26-9
	Nolte, E. McKee, CM., Measuring the Health of Nations: analysis of mortality amenable to healthcare BMJ 2003; 327:1129 (2003)
	Eurocare-4, www.eurocare.it
	OECD, Health at a Glance 2009 (2009)
	European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS) incidence of MRSA per 100,000 patient days (2008)
	The Tallinn Charter, Health Systems for Health and Wealth Draft Charter World Health Organisation (2008)
	Is the NHS becoming more patient centred? Trends from the national surveys of patients in England 2002 to 2007 Picker Institute (2007)
	British Social Attitudes Survey, NatCen,
	http://www.natcen.ac.uk/study/british-social-attitudes-25th-report/our-findings - (2009)
	The Patient Association's response to “Liberating the NHS: Greater Choice and Control” The Patient Association (2011)
	Taylor, R., Implications of offering “Patient Choice” for routine adult surgical referrals. (2004) Dr Foster Limited, University of Nottingham
	Picker Institute
	Thorlby, R. and Gregory, S., Free Choice at the point of referral. London King's Fund (2008)
	British Social Attitudes Survey, NatCen,
	www.natcen.ac.uk/study/british-social-attitudes-25th-report/findings - (2009)
	Dixon, A., Robertson, R., Appleby, J, Burge, P., Devlin, N., Magee, H., Patient Choice: How patients choose and how providers respond The Kings Fund (2010)
	Dixon, S., Report on the national patient choice survey—February 2010 England Department of Health (2010)

NHS: Drugs

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what drugs have been made available for the first time to patients on the NHS since 5 May 2010; and how many patients have received such drugs.

Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for licensing medicines in the United Kingdom. Since May 2010 five medicines containing new active substances were licensed by the MHRA for the UK only. Since January 2010 another 56 medicines containing new active substances were licensed in the European Union by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) through the centralised procedure to which the MHRA contributed by providing scientific expertise. When a medicine containing a new active substance is licensed it does not mean it automatically becomes available on the national health service.
	Information on the number of people prescribed a medicine, the dosage or the medical condition being treated, is not collected centrally.
	New active substances licensed in the UK only
	1. PL 00133/0234 - Blistex
	2. PL 18024/0009 - Sativex
	3. PL 19364/0033 - Normicron
	4. PL 32363/0001 - Livazo
	5. PL 32828/0001 - Plenaxis.
	New active subs tances licensed through the EMA
	1. EU/1/11/703/ - Xgeva
	2. EU/1/11/700/ - Benlysta
	3. EU/1/11/698/ - Yervoy
	4. EU/1/11/696/ - Bydureon
	5. EU/1/11/695/ - Leganto
	6. EU/1/11/694/ - Nulojix
	7. EU/1/11/692/ - Yellox
	8. EU/1/11/691/ - Eliquis
	9. EU/1/11/688/ - Cinryze
	10. EU/1/11/687/ - Hizentra
	11. EU/1/11/686/ - Rasilamlo
	12. EU/1/11/681/ - Trobalt
	13. EU/1/11/680/ - Riprazo HCT
	14. EU/1/11/679/ - Pravafenix
	15. EU/1/11/678/ - Halaven
	16.EU/1/11/677/ - Gilenya
	17. EU/1/11/676/ - Jevtana
	18. EU/1/11/674/ - Repso
	19. EU/1/11/673/ - Ifirmacombi
	20. EU/1/11/672/ - Xeplion
	21. EU/1/11/671/ -Xiapex
	22. EU/1/11/669/ - Teysuno
	23.EU/1/11/668/ - Daliresp
	24. EU/1/11/667/ - Esbriet
	25. EU/1/11/666/ - Libertek
	26. EU/1/10/664/ - Pumarix
	27. EU/1/10/661/ - Fluenz
	28. EU/1/10/660/ - Potactasol
	29. EU/1/10/659/ - Iasibon
	30. EU/1/10/658/ - Aflunov
	31. EU/1/10/657/ - Prepandemic Influenza vaccine (H5N1)
	32. EU/1/10/656/ - Possia
	33. EU/1/10/655/ - Brilique
	34. EU/1/10/648/ - Twynsta
	35. EU/1/10/647/ - Myclausen
	36. EU/1/10/646/ - VPRIV
	37. EU/1/10/645/ - Brinavess
	38. EU/1/10/644/ - PecFent
	39. EU/1/10/643/ - Rapiscan
	40. EU/1/10/641/ - Ruconest
	41.EU/1/10/640/ - Sycrest
	42. EU/1/10/638/ - Ozurdex
	43. EU/1/10/636/ - Daxas
	44. EU/1/10/632/ - Tolura
	45. EU/1/10/631/ - Nivestim
	46. EU/1/10/630/ - Docefrez
	47. EU/1/10/628/ - Votrient
	48. EU/1/10/625/ - Arzerra
	49. EU/1/10/623/ - DuoCover
	50. EU/1/10/622/ - Tepadina
	51. EU/1/10/621/ - Ristaben
	52. EU/1/10/620/ - Ristfor
	53. EU/1/10/619/ - DuoPlavin
	54. EU/1/10/618/ - Prolia
	55. EU/1/10/614/ - Menveo
	56. EU/1/10/612/ - Revolade.

NHS: Expenditure

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS spending per head of population in (a) England, (b) Warwickshire and (c) Nuneaton was in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The amount spent per capita in total in England by all primary care trusts (PCTs) and by Warwickshire PCT and its predecessor organisations, in each of the last five years, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Organisation 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Rugby PCT 1,243 — — — — 
			 North Warwickshire PCT 1,168 — — — — 
			 South Warwickshire PCT 1,114 — — — — 
			 Warwickshire PCT — 1,231 1,315 1,362 1,510 
			 All England 1,286 1,315 1,428 1,499 1,650 
		
	
	Data in respect of expenditure per capita in Nuneaton are not held centrally.

NHS: Expenditure

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of delivering an episode of care in the NHS in (a) 1997 and (b) 2010 at constant prices.

Simon Burns: The average cost of delivering an episode of care in the NHS was £1,410 in 1997-98 and £1,395 in 2009-10.
	The figures include elective in-patients (including excess bed days), non-elective in-patients (including excess bed days) and day case activity. The 2009-10 figure covers costs to national health service providers (NHS trusts, foundation trusts and primary care trust (PCT) provider arms) of providing these services, as reported to the Department through the annual reference cost collection. The 1997-98 figure does not include costs reported by PCT provider arms, as the reference cost collection for that year covered acute trusts only. Both figures are inclusive of the Market Forces Factor.
	The 1997-98 figures have been uplifted by using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflator.

NHS: Manpower

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of all estimates for NHS work force changes commissioned by his Department between January 1997 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: We interpret my hon. Friend's question as to referring to estimates in changes to NHS work force numbers between January 1997 and May 2010.
	Two tables giving this detail have been placed in the Library.

NHS: Manpower

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been made redundant by primary care trusts and subsequently re-employed within the NHS (a) directly and (b) on a temporary or contract basis in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: The estimated numbers of people made redundant by primary care trusts and subsequently re-employed (up until 30 April 2011) within the national health service directly and on a temporary or contract basis in each financial year are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Permanent Fixed term 
			 2008-09 59 40 
			 2009-10 26 13 
			 2010-11 79 60 
		
	
	These estimates are based on data extracted from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse and therefore do not include staff who may have been re-employed by general practices, or Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. ESR has been used across the NHS since 2008. Information pertaining to prior to 2008 is not held centrally.

NHS: Standards

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve patients' outcomes in the NHS.

Simon Burns: The ‘NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12’ was published in December 2010 and signals the direction of travel for the national health service in focusing on outcomes. It is intended to support continuous improvements in outcomes for patients across the range of activities the NHS is responsible for delivering.
	For example, in Domain 5: ‘Treating and caring for people in a safe environment and protecting people from avoidable harm’, there are two indicators which will track the progress of the NHS in reducing incidences of healthcare associated infections. Existing data show that in the year ending March 2011 the number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections decreased by 22% and Clostridium difficile infections decreased by 15% on the year before. These are positive outcomes in this domain, and we expect improvements to occur across all five domains.
	To support the outcomes and indicators in each domain of the NHS Outcomes Framework, a suite of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Quality Standards are being developed, and we have commissioned NICE to produce two Quality Standards on patient experience.

Nursing Home Properties

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will examine the financial position of Nursing Home Properties.

Paul Burstow: It is for the Care Quality Commission, as the regulator of adult social care services, to satisfy itself that a care service provider is financially viable.

Obesity

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) adults and (b) children were (i) overweight and (ii) obese in each primary care trust area in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate the number of (A) adults and (B) children who were (1) overweight and (2) obese in each primary care trust in each year since 1997.

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults is not available by primary care trust (PCT) and is available only by strategic health authority (SHA) for 2008. Information on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children by PCT is available only for certain age groups and from 2006-07. Information on the number of adults and children who were overweight or obese is available only at a disproportionate cost.
	Information on the percentage of overweight and obese adults aged 16 and over in England is available in the “Health Survey for England—2009 trend tables”, Adult trend tables, Table 4. Information is provided for adults in England for the years 1993 to 2009. This information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse09trends
	The proportion of adults aged 16 and over recorded as overweight and obese by SHA for 2008 is available in Table 7.3 on page 194 of the “Health Survey for England—2008: Physical activity and fitness”. The information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse08physicalactivity
	Information on the percentage of overweight and obese children in England is available in the “Health Survey for England—2009 trend tables”, Child trend tables, Table 4. Information is provided for children aged 2 to l5 in England for the years 1995 to 2009. This information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse09trends
	The proportion of children aged 2 to 15 recorded as overweight and obese by SHA for 2008 is available in Table 13.3 on page 327 of the “Health Survey for England—2008: Physical activity and fitness”. The information is available from the following link:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse08physicalactivity
	Further information on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children at a PCT level is available through the National Child Measurement Programme. Information is available for children in Reception (4 to 5 years) and year 6 (10 to 11 years) for the years 2006-07 to 2009-10. Information showing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in those two school years by PCT is available for each year from the following links.
	Table 2 of the accompanying excel file of the “National Child Measurement Programme: England, 2009/10 school year” report is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity/national-child-measurement-programme-england-2009-10-school-year
	Table 2 of the accompanying excel file of the “National Child Measurement Programme: England, 2008/09 school year” report is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity/national-child-measurement-programme-england-2008-09-school-year
	Table 2 of the accompanying excel file of “National Child Measurement Programme: results from the 2007/08 school year, headline results” report is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity/national-child-measurement-programme-results-from-the-school-year-2007-08
	Table 2 of the accompanying excel file of “National Child Measurement Programme: results from the 2006/07 school year, headline results” report is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity/national-child-measurement-programme-results-from-the-2006-07-school-year
	Copies of all these publications have already been placed in the Library.

Organs: Donors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendation of the Organ Donation Taskforce to increase the number of organs available for transplantation.

Anne Milton: Implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations has seen donor rates rise by around 28% since 2008 and over 18 million people—some 28% of the United Kingdom population—have registered on the Organ Donor Register. Work continues at a local, regional and national level to increase donor rates still further to the 50% by 2013 anticipated by the Organ Donation Taskforce.
	Future action will focus on increasing consent rates; ensuring that the potential for donation can be optimised in all cases; and increasing donation from emergency medicine. This will be achieved through a variety of means, including through the clinical leads for organ donation, donation committees and donation chairs in acute trusts driving improvement locally; regional collaboration to share learning and ongoing work to raise the profile and benefits of organ donation and transplantation with the national health service, professional groups and with the public.

Organs: Donors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of implementing a soft opt-out system for organ donation in England.

Anne Milton: In 2008, the independent Organ Donation Taskforce examined the case for moving to a system of presumed consent for organ donation. It recommended against it, concluding that while such a system might have the potential to deliver benefits, it would present significant difficulties which might not bring about the desired increase in organ donation rates. Action has been taken to strengthen the donation infrastructure and since the publication of the taskforce's report in 2008, organ donor rates have increased by around 28%. We need to give time for these improvements to work through fully and assess their success, before looking to change the system further.

Osteoporosis: Health Services

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to include osteoporosis in the Quality and Outcomes Framework of the GP contract;
	(2)  if he will include indicators on reducing hospital admissions for fractures in older people as part of the new outcomes frameworks for the NHS, adult social care and public health in England;
	(3)  if he will take steps to implement the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group report on the role of nutrition in preventing osteoporosis and promoting good bone health.

Paul Burstow: The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Osteoporosis' report of its inquiry into the role of nutrition in preventing osteoporosis and promoting bone health sets out a number of recommendations for Government, the national health service, local authorities, social care providers, those responsible for delivering public health messages and the food, advertising, retail and cosmetics industries.
	In our recently published social marketing strategy, ‘Changing Behaviours, Improving Outcomes’, we have set out our intentions to expand on the Change4Life programme to include all relevant advice to promote healthier lifestyles. This will include broader dietary and physical activity messages.
	The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently reviewing the data on vitamin D and health in light of the new evidence that has become available since it published its position statement ‘Update on Vitamin D’, in 2007. This review will consider the vitamin D status of United Kingdom populations, the thresholds to define deficiency and the relative contributions of diet and sunlight exposure to maintain vitamin D status. It is expected that SACN's review will take three to four years to complete.
	Technology Appraisal guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) supports calcium and vitamin D supplementation in post-menopausal women receiving osteoporosis treatment unless clinicians are confident that the patient already has adequate levels. Healthcare professionals are expected to take the guidance fully into account when exercising their clinical judgment. However, the guidance does not override the individual responsibility of health care professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer. Commissioners and providers are reminded by NICE of their responsibilities to implement this guidance in light of local circumstances.
	Resources published as part of the prevention package for older people, are designed to support the NHS and local authorities in prioritising and effectively commissioning services that support the health, well-being and independence of older people. The document “Falls and fractures: effective interventions in health and social care” sets out a systematic approach to falls and fracture prevention. This includes an objective to prevent frailty, preserve bone health and reduce accidents through preserving physical activity, healthy lifestyles and reducing environmental hazards.
	The NHS Outcomes Framework 2011-12 includes an indicator, which focuses on:
	‘improving recovery from fragility fractures—the proportion of patients recovering to their previous levels of mobility/walking ability at (i) 30 days and (ii) 120 days’.
	Following consultation on the draft Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework, an indicator on the proportion of people suffering fragility fractures who recover their previous level of mobility/walking after 120 days was excluded for 2011-12 as further work was required on data development and the analysis of the impact of social care. However, this does not preclude the inclusion of such an indicator in future years.
	In the recent consultation on proposals for a public health outcomes framework, an indicator on ‘Acute admissions as a result of falls or fall injuries for over 65s’ was included. This was selected for inclusion on the basis that falls account for the majority of admissions to hospital for unintentional injury among older people, and so falls prevention is a key public health priority. The response to the consultation was, in general, very supportive of the broad concept of the outcomes framework, its breadth and the focus on life-course and health inequalities, which are both particularly relevant to the rates of falls in older people. As we develop the final outcomes framework which we intend to publish later this year, we will consider the full range of responses from stakeholders to the consultation to determine the final set of indicators for inclusion in the final framework.
	Work to reduce hospital admissions due to fractures among older people will require joint effort across the wider public health, NHS and adult social care systems. Alongside the development of the public health outcomes framework over the next few weeks and months, we will work with stakeholders to clarify and publicise the close alignment of all three outcomes frameworks, supporting local Health and Well-being Boards in their work to improve outcomes across the board and to encourage joint work across the NHS, local authority and providers to support older people in this case to live longer, healthier lives.
	The prioritisation of potential indicators for inclusion in the Quality and Outcomes Framework is the responsibility of NICE. Following publication of the indicators, NHS Employers negotiate with the British Medical Association on which indicators should be included within the Quality and Outcome Framework, achievement levels and the value of those indicators.

Out-patients: Attendance

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many out-patient appointments were missed (a) in England and (b) in each relevant NHS area in each financial year since 1997-98; what proportion of the number of out-patient appointments such missed out-patient appointments represented in each relevant NHS area; and what estimate he has made of the overall cost to the NHS of such missed appointments in each financial year since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 Proportion of patients not attending out-patient appointments for NHS providers in England 1997-98 to 2010-11 
			  Total out-patient appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (  %  ) 
			 1997-98 47,264,698 5,629,429 11.91 
			 1998-99 47,803,368 5,648,971 11.82 
			 1999-2000 48,923,209 5,882,510 12.02 
			 2000-01 49,524,159 5,954,819 12.02 
			 2001-02 49,579,825 5,904,847 11.91 
			 2002-03 49,529,924 5,765,099 11.64 
			 2003-04 50,996,765 5,877,153 11.52 
			 2004-05 50,476,667 5,709,066 11.31 
			 2005-06 50,817,978 5,596,865 11.01 
			 2006-07 50,146,190 5,436,135 10.84 
			 2007-08 51,123,275 5,420,582 10.60 
			 2008-09 54,517,526 5,804,238 10.65 
			 2009-10 56,595,028 5,855,483 10.35 
			 2010-11 57,210,818 5,720,446 10.00 
			 (1)Did not attend. Note: For 2001-02 the England level data does not equal the sum of health authorities in the following table due to an organisation that does not have an associated health authority. Source: Department of Health; Quarterly Activity Return. 
		
	
	
		
			 Proportion of patients not attending out  -  patient appointments for NHS providers in each relevant NHS area 1997-98 to 2010-11 
			  1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 
			 Name Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 6,274,343 729,913 11.63 6,308,365 742,460 11.77 6,378,299 789,636 12.38 
			 Trent 4,894,893 524,566 10.72 4,938,281 523,492 10.60 5,015,449 541,815 10.80 
			 West Midlands 4,392,417 416,888 9.49 4,433,371 408,231 9.21 4,535,205 425,198 9.38 
			 North West 7,980,328 1,179,726 14.78 8,099,607 1,203,236 14.86 8,302,046 1,259,972 15.18 
			 Eastern 6,411,419 797,219 12.43 6,428,049 776,560 12.08 6,728,544 827,805 12.30 
			 London 5,242,156 484,066 9.23 5,290,796 479,234 9.06 5,385,813 486,834 9.04 
			 South East 5,003,148 629,156 12.58 5,121,215 626,061 12.22 5,250,761 642,063 12.23 
			 South West 7,065,994 867,895 12.28 7,183,684 889,697 12.38 7,327,092 909,187 12.41 
		
	
	
		
			  2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 
			 Name Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate   (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   Rate   (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate   (%) 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Health Authority 1,933,862 164,431 8.50 1,962,035 166,705 8.50 1,930,114 157,080 8.14 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Health Authority 1,242,749 148,280 11.93 1,195,242 137,650 11.52 1,215,039 131,460 10.82 
		
	
	
		
			 Essex Health Authority 1,325,507 144,645 10.91 1,322,654 140,155 10.60 1,355,615 149,227 11.01 
			 North West London Health Authority 2,109,750 350,991 16.64 2,167,989 356,384 16.44 2,165,772' 354,149 16.35 
			 North Central London Health Authority 2,322,723 361,185 15.55 2,225,523 359,363 16.15 2,222,116 345,921 15.57 
			 North East London Health Authority 1,743,985 285,784 16.39 1,716,200 282,614 16.47 1,709,264 274,762 16.07 
			 South East London Health Authority 1,833,867 315,568 17.21 1,864,262 350,057 18.78 1,891,134 328,197 17.35 
			 South West London Health Authority 1,428,750 167,721 11.74 1,457,828 173,683 11.91 1,452,596 169,055 11.64 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Health Authority 1,694,713 199,935 11.80 1,770,447 204,001 11.52 1,781,954 193,269 10.85 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Health Authority 1,162,247 139,591 12.01 1,153,703 129,055 11.19 1,083,311 116,507 10.75 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Health Authority 1,307,370 140,220 10.73 1,297,353 140,143 10.80 1,292,099 139,034 10.76 
			 West Yorkshire Health Authority 2,312,647 286,890 12.41 2,263,697 279,845 12.36 2,243,596 283,183 12.62 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Health Authority 1,715,030 179,295 10.45 1,688,314 176,155 10.43 1,578,803 165,284 10.47 
			 Greater Manchester Health Authority 3,194,427 411,778 12.89 3,282,427 419,265 12.77 3,409,985 429,223 12.59 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Health Authority 2,780,559 367,361 13.21 2,859,531 358,515 12.54 2,998,264 353,665 11.80 
			 Thames Valley Health Authority 1,729,964 179,403 10.37 1,725,789 179,058 10.38 1,737,982 177,204 10.20 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Authority 1,337,457 137,252 10.26 1,361,925 135,964 9.98 1,365,836 130,680 9.57 
			 Kent and Medway Health Authority 1,264,610 131,554 10.40 1,292,216 131,629 10.19 1,287,890 126,825 9.85 
			 Surrey and Sussex Health Authority 2,282,134 246,479 10.80 2,252,314 245,536 10.90 2,263,240 234,237 10.35 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Health Authority 1,919,701 179,084 9.33 1,905,960 174,421 9.15 1,885,158 179,440 9.52 
			 South West Peninsula Health Authority 1,328,445 116,189 8.75 1,315,947 111,203 8.45 1,319,220 113,398 8.60 
			 Dorset and Somerset Health Authority 933,335 75,886 8.13 930,864 73,278 7.87 931,904 73,406 7.88 
			 South Yorkshire Health Authority 1,668,679 199,409 11.95 1,754,364 208,916 11.91 1,745,665 199,294 11.42 
			 Trent Health Authority 2,353,782 244,377 10.38 2,216,471 221,325 9.99 2,140,752 210,799 9.85 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Health Authority 1,234,083 121,345 9.83 1,286,826 132,260 10.28 1,315,549 137,967 10.49 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Health Authority 1,219,655 119,825 9.82 1,184,740 114,229 9.64 1,167,437 111,208 9.53 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country Health Authority 2,883,493 401,358 13.92 2,870,204 358,639 12.50 2,770,290 342,946 12.38 
			 West Midlands South Health Authority 1,260,635 138,983 11.02 1,246,414 143,184 11.49 1,269,339 137,679 10.85 
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 
			 Name Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Health Authority 1,996,536 160,916 8.06 2,002,359 160,239 8.00 2,013,035 164,671 8.18 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Health Authority 1,296,989 135,521 10.45 1,245,883 125,798 10.10 1,081,193 107,533 9.95 
			 Essex Health Authority 1,364,951 151,523 11.10 1,368,280 146,441 10.70 1,395,923 148,564 10.64 
			 North West London Health Authority 2,149,037 340,800 15.86 2,197,183 337,685 15.37 2,283,289 340,004 14.89 
			 North Central London Health Authority 2,293,075 352,954 15.39 2,299,066 355,886 15.48 2,193,021 326,217 14.88 
			 North East London Health Authority 1,792,325 284,800 15.89 1,843,674 295,823 16.05 1,641,602 241,539 14.71 
			 South East London Health Authority 1,900,844 337,267 17.74 1,863,190 314,150 16.86 1,956,702 302,342 15.45 
			 South West London Health Authority 1,529,390 181,024 11.84 1,504,258 169,096 11.24 1,572,860 182,438 11.60 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Health Authority 1,923,616 198,342 10.31 1,787,364 200,031 11.19 1,850,735 199,931 10.80 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Health Authority 1,146,065 118,169 10.31 1,163,405 119,682 10.29 1,153,650 116,477 10.10 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Health Authority 1,324,437 136,582 10.31 1,296,312 121,244 9.35 1,413,149 124,622 8.82 
			 West Yorkshire Health Authority 2,247,765 276,164 12.29 2,088,621 255,823 12.25 2,069,245 250,519 12.11 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Health Authority 1,649,700 179,911 10.91 1,653,324 180,386 10.91 1,658,259 185,828 11.21 
			 Greater Manchester Health Authority 3,390,296 422,950 12.48 3,354,936 397,543 11.85 3,381,724 399,284 11.81 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Health Authority 3,034,097 358,469 11.81 3,040,240 347,864 11.44 3,101,045 353,925 11.41 
			 Thames Valley Health Authority 1,799,963 180,233 10.01 1,767,676 176,524 9.99 1,792,644 175,577 9.79 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Authority 1,417,055 132,963 9.38 1,431,536 131,096 9.16 1,448,212 126,915 8.76 
			 Kent and Medway Health Authority 1,327,193 135,935 10.24 1,295,855 127,788 9.86 1,332,884 131,981 9.90 
			 Surrey and Sussex Health Authority 2,271,735 231,062 10.17 2,239,026 219,446 9.80 2,092,982 192,685 9.21 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Health Authority 1,909,060' 169,324 8.87 1,929,085 167,717 8.69 1,971,550 167,987 8.52 
			 South West Peninsula Health Authority 1,377,801 113,663 8.25 1,336,111 105,351 7.88 1,379,454 108,089 7.84 
			 Dorset and Somerset Health Authority 972,990 73,155 7.52 962,359 71,212 7.40 988,784 75,994 7.69 
			 South Yorkshire Health Authority 1,839,628 202,908 11.03 1,824,544 203,234 11.14 1,913,195 201,591 10.54 
			 Trent Health Authority 2,162,248 209,555 9.69 2,195,359 204,882 9.33 2,178,703 207,928 9.54 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Health Authority 1,354,066 151,898 11.22 1,313,070 145,896 11.11 1,391,566 160,934 11.56 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Health Authority 1,206,665 115,058 9.54 1,198,227 113,136 9.44 1,145,757 99,027 8.64 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country Health Authority 2,993,640 375,791 12.55 2,988,200 375,029 12.55 3,105,802 369,214 11.89 
		
	
	
		
			 West Midlands South Health Authority 1,325,598 150,216 11.33 1,287,524 140,064 10.88 1,311,013 135,049 10.30 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 
			 Name Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority 2,903,275 295,462 10.18 2,948,057 292,580 9.92 3,074,601 288,471 9.38 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority 8,409,979 968,205 11.51 8,605,140 962,527 11.19 9,007,413 986,407 10.95 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber Strategic Health Authority 5,346,782 581,081 10.87 5,425,916 574,957 10.60 5,710,126 565,988 9.91 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 3,415,442 348,128 10.19 3,348,207 329,286 9.83 3,404,294 329,562 9.68 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 5,421,255 599,040 11.05 5,544,773 603,280 10.88 5,958,332 614,812 10.32 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority 4,344,165 398,241 9.17 4,583,814 408,809 8.92 4,842,242 432,236 8.93 
			 London Strategic Health Authority 9,691,898 1,321,261 13.63 9,743,787 1,310,056 13.45 10,898,171 1,621,198 14.88 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 3,212,981 304,458 9.48 3,277,533 305,706 9.33 3,496,402 309,370 8.85 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority 3,076,958 270,688 8.80 3,180,672 275,816 8.67 3,404,079 285,297 8.38 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority 4,323,455 349,571 8.09 4,465,376 357,565 8.01 4,721,866 370,897 7.85 
		
	
	
		
			  2009-10 2010-11 
			 Name Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) Total appointments Total DNAs  (1) DNA  (1)   rate (%) 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority 3,092,031 294,782 9.53 3,204,108 309,311 9.65 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority 9,388,901 1,014,269 10.80 9,209,954 983,085 10.67 
			 Yorkshire and The H umber Strategic Health Authority 6,052,951 570,581 9.43 6,206,274 575,382 9.27 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 3,345,510 316,117 9.45 3,510,888 305,311 8.70 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 6,387,082 665,505 10.42 6,806,401 724,244 10.64 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5,158,259 456,768 8.86 5,228,043 447,737 8.56 
			 London Strategic Health Authority 11,298,624 1,565,973 13.86 11,202,304 1,449,253 12.94 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 3,591,928 312,924 8.71 3,822,028 316,746 8.29 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority 3,461,567 281,737 8.14 3,176,818 251,250 7.91 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority 4,818,175 376,827 7.82 4,844,000 358,127 7.39 
			 (1 )Did not attend.  Source:  Department of Health; Quarterly Activity Return.

Patients: Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what aspects of patient care his Department requires to be covered by patient information leaflets.

Simon Burns: United Kingdom law requires that all licensed medicines on the UK market are accompanied by patient information leaflets. More broadly however, information is clearly an important part of care giving. This is recognised within the NHS constitution which includes a right for people to be given information about treatments in advance and a right to information that supports people to make choices about their NHS care.

Patients: Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement (a) patients and (b) the public have in writing and designing NHS patient information leaflets.

Simon Burns: It is good practice to involve patients and the public in the development of information products and many information producers have developed highly effective ways of doing this. The Department has sponsored the establishment of The Information Standard scheme, which awards a quality mark to organisations that can show they have robust processes for developing high quality information. Before awarding the quality mark the scheme tests, among other things, how an information producer works with its audience to identify and meet its needs.

Patients: Surveys

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions his Department has made to collect real-time patient feedback from patients during their hospital stay.

Simon Burns: ‘Real-time’ patient feedback is a general term for the use of a variety of approaches to capturing feedback from patients and service users at the point of care level—this can include hand-held devices, texting, kiosks, and comment cards. The 2011-12 Operating Framework for the national health service states that systems should be in place to capture the views and experiences of patients, service users and carers, and this will include the collection of real-time feedback.
	Local organisations should use whichever methods of real-time feedback are most suitable and appropriate for their patients and populations. The information obtained can be used directly by staff to improve services at or near the time care is provided. Due to organisations collecting different data in different ways, any national aggregation would be meaningless. The Department does not collect real-time feedback data centrally.

Patients: Transport

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inter-hospital transfers have taken place in the NHS in each year since 1997; what the average distance patients have travelled was during these inter-hospital transfers; and what proportion of total hospital admissions these transfers represented for (a) children aged under five, (b) adults aged 18 to 59, (c) adults aged 60 to 85 and (d) adults aged over 85.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Department. The Department does collect data on ambulance response times in accordance with the national response time targets and these are published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, ‘Ambulance services, England’. These documents are available on the Information for health and social care website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning ambulance services (which could include non-emergency patient transport services and inter-hospital transfers) to such extent as the PCT considers necessary to meet all reasonable requirements of the area for which they are legally charged with providing services.

Prescriptions

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were (a) issued and (b) not collected in the NHS in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of prescriptions issued is not collected centrally. It is therefore not possible to indicate how many were not collected. The only available data is for the numbers which were returned to the NHS Prescription Services for reimbursement and have hence been issued; collected and dispensed.

Pressure Sores

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidelines his Department has issued on minimum standards of training for nurses on tissue viability;
	(2)  how many tissue viability nurses are employed in each primary care trust.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of training for nurses is the responsibility of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Nurses receive training in skin care and tissue viability during their preparation for registration. They should keep up to date with best practice in skin care and tissue viability that is relevant to their area of practice, as part of their continuing professional development. Practitioners have access to specialist tissue viability nurses who provide training as well as expert advice in the care of individual patients. To reinforce the necessity for continuing learning, the NMC requires health care professionals to maintain competence in their field of practice as a condition of their continued registration.
	The number of tissue viability nurses is not collected centrally. Local national health service organisations are responsible for the skill mix of their work force, including the number of tissue viability nurses. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local community and must have the freedom to train and deploy staff in ways appropriate for local conditions.

Salt

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what targets he has set for the reduction of salt consumption among the general public in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement,
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with food industry representatives on the amount of salt in their products; what response he has received; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he is (a) taking and (b) plans to take to ensure that salt reduction is prioritised among the outcomes of the UN Non-Communicable Diseases High Level Meeting in September 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Work to reduce salt in food is being taken forward under the Public Health Responsibility Deal. Ministers and officials have been talking to a range of representatives from the manufacturing, retailing, catering and supply sectors. The response has been very positive and to date 55 companies have pledged to meet the Responsibility Deal salt reduction targets for 2012 with many more considering how they might contribute to this work.
	In 2003, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommended that the average adult population salt intake should be reduced to no more than 6 grammes per day, and less for children. The salt reduction targets agreed by the Food Network of the Responsibility Deal and to be met by 2012 will give a total salt reduction of nearly 1 gramme per person per day compared to the levels in food in 2007.
	We recognise that reducing salt intake in the population is a key intervention to decrease the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. We have supported its inclusion as a priority global action to prevent non-communicable diseases in the forthcoming outcomes document for the UN Non-Communicable Diseases High Level Meeting in September 2011.

Selenium

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of selenium supplementation on the incidence of prostate, lung and colorectal cancers.

Paul Burstow: The Department has not assessed the potential effect of selenium supplementation on the incidence of prostate, lung and colorectal cancers.
	In May this year a review was published that had looked at over 50 studies involving more than one million people to see whether taking selenium supplements offered any protective benefit from cancer. The review, conducted by a team of researchers from across Europe, concluded that there was not enough evidence to support the suggestion that taking selenium supplements is an effective way for healthy people to protect themselves against cancer.

Social Services: Finance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what budget headings he expects his social care budget to be spent in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Paul Burstow: Expenditure on adult social care is collected by the Information Centre for health and social care, in the Personal Social Services Expenditure return. The data are recorded under the headings in the following table. Local authorities are responsible for allocating their budgets and we do not, therefore, set out projections for spend on adult social care.
	
		
			  Adults' services 
			 A Service strategy: Adults' services 
			 A1 Strategic management 
			 A2 Complaints procedures 
		
	
	
		
			 A3 Total service strategy (lines A1 to A2) 
			   
			 B Older people (aged 65 or over) including older mentally ill 
			 B1 Assessment and care management 
			 B2.1 Nursing care placements 
			 B2.2 Residential care placements 
			 B2.3 Nursing and residential care placements total (lines B2.1 + B2.2) 
			 B4 Supported and other accommodation 
			 B5 Home care 
			 B6 Day care/day services 
			 B7 Fairer charging—community services 
			 B8 Direct payments 
			 B9 Equipment and adaptations 
			 B10 Meals 
			 B11 Other services to older people 
			 B12 Total older people excluding supporting people (lines B1 + B2.1 + B2.2 + B4 + B7 + B8 + B9 + B10 + B11) 
			 B13 Supporting people (SP) 
			 B14 Total older people including supporting people (lines B11 + B12) 
			   
			 E Adults aged under 65 with a physical disability 
			 E1 Assessment and care management 
			 E2.1 Nursing care placements 
			 E2.2 Residential care placements 
			 E2.3 Nursing and residential care placements total (lines E2.1 + E2.2) 
			 E4 Supported and other accommodation 
			 E5 Home care 
			 E6 Day care/day services 
			 E7 Fairer charging—community services 
			 E8 Direct payments 
			 E9 Equipment and adaptations 
			 E10 Meals 
			 E11 Other services to adults with a physical disability 
			 E12 Total adults with a physical disability, aged 18 to 64, excluding supporting people (lines E1 + E2.1 + E2.2 + E4 + E7 + E8 + E9 + E10 + E11) 
			 E13 Supporting people (SP) 
			 E14 Total adults with a physical disability, aged 18 to 64, including supporting people (lines E12 + E13) 
			   
			 F Adults aged under 65 with learning disabilities 
			 F1 Assessment and care management 
			 F2.1 Nursing care placements 
			 F2.2 Residential care placements 
			 F2.3 Nursing and residential care placements total (lines F2.1 + F2.2) 
			 F4 Supported and other accommodation 
			 F5 Home care 
			 F6 Day care/day services 
			 F7 Fairer charging—community services 
			 F8 Direct payments 
			 F9 Equipment and adaptations 
			 F10 Meals 
			 F11 Other services to adults with learning disabilities 
			 F12 Total adults with learning disabilities, aged 18 to 64, excluding supporting people (lines F1 + F2.1 + F2.2 + F4 + F7 + F8 + F9 + F10 + F11) 
			 F13 Supporting people (SP) 
			 F14 Total adults with learning disabilities, aged 18 to 64, including supporting people (lines F12 + F13) 
		
	
	
		
			   
			 G Adults aged under 65 with mental health needs 
			 G1 Assessment and care management 
			 G2.1 Nursing care placements 
			 G2.2 Residential care placements 
			 G2.3 Nursing and residential care placements total (lines G2.1 + G2.2) 
			 G4 Supported and other accommodation 
			 G5 Home care 
			 G6 Day care/day services 
			 G7 Fairer charging—community services 
			 G8 Direct payments 
			 G9 Equipment and adaptations 
			 G10 Meals 
			 G11 Other services to adults with mental health needs 
			 G12 Total adults with mental health needs, aged 18 to 64, excluding supporting people (lines G1 + G2.1 + G2.2 + G4 + G7 + G8 + G9 + G10 + G11) 
			 G13 Supporting people (SP) 
			 G14 Total adults with mental health needs, aged 18 to 64, including supporting people (lines G12 + G13) 
			   
			 H Asylum seekers 
			 H1 Assessment and care management 
			 H2 Lone adults 
			 H3 Total asylum seekers (lines H1 to H2) 
			   
			 J Other adult services 
			 J1 Assessment and care management 
			 J2 HIV/AIDS 
			 J3 Substance abuse (addictions) 
			 J4 Other adult services 
			 J5 Total other adult services excluding supporting people (lines J1 to J4) 
			 J6 Supporting people 
			 J7 Total other adult services including supporting people (lines J5 + J6) 
			   
			 K Total adult social services 
			 K1 Total PSS excluding supporting people (lines A3 + B12 + E12+ F12 + G12 + H3405) 
			 K2 Total supporting people (lines B13 + E13 + F13 + G13 + J6) 
			 K3 Total PSS including supporting people (lines A3 + B14 + E14 + F14 + G14 + H3 + J7)

Social Services: Recruitment

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on social care recruitment campaigns in each year since 1997-98; and how many social carers have been recruited in each year since 1997-98.

Paul Burstow: The Department's expenditure on the National Social Care Recruitment Campaign is set out in the following table.
	Information is not held centrally on how many people were recruited as a result of the campaigns. As there are so many different employers, and no single application process, it is very difficult to track how many people have found work as a result of the campaign. Anecdotal feedback from some of the social care employers who participated in the latest campaign suggests that the campaign has helped them to fill vacancies.
	The purpose of the campaigns was to raise awareness of the range of rewarding work that is available in the social care sector and to encourage people to think about a job in social care.
	
		
			 Department of Health expenditure on the national social care recruitment 
			  £ million 
			 1997-98 0 
			 1998-99 0 
			 1999-2000 0 
			 2000-01 0 
			 2001-02 0.83 
			 2002-03 1.34 
			 2003-04 4.62 
			 2004-05 1.80 
			 2005-06 2.42 
			 2006-07 2.31 
			 2007-08 2.22 
			 2008-09 2.03 
			 2009-10 4.10 
			 2010-11 0 
			 Notes: 1. Advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs, Central Office of Information commission and VAT). 2. All figures here are rounded to the nearest £10,000.

Strokes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has (a) taken and (b) plans to take to reduce the number of strokes; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We are aiming to reduce premature mortality from stroke in a number of ways.
	The NHS Health Check programme assesses people aged between 40 and 74 for their risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease and helps them to reduce or manage that risk through individually tailored lifestyle advice and support so they stay well for longer. Phased implementation began in April 2009 and this Government is committed to the continuation of the programme. At full roll-out, the programme could prevent at least 1,600 heart attacks and strokes a year.
	Implementation of the National Stroke Strategy and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Quality Standard for stroke provides the NHS with evidence based characteristics of a good stroke service that have and will continue to improve stroke care resulting in better outcomes for patients in terms of prevention and treatment. Progress on stroke care in England is measured through the National Sentinel Stroke Audit.
	Another wave of the Act FAST public awareness campaign is being planned for the autumn. This aims to help the public recognise the signs and symptoms of a stroke so that stroke patients get to hospital faster and receive quicker treatment, and so save lives.
	The NHS Improvement Programme is leading work on raising awareness of the role of atrial fibrillation (AF) in stroke in primary and secondary care. For example, it is promoting opportunistic pulse checks in primary care, such as at flu clinics, to detect AF earlier in older people so that it can be treated and so reduce their risk of stroke.

Tobacco: Vending Machines

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the prohibition on tobacco sales from vending machines from October 2011 includes machines which are placed under a counter or otherwise away from public view and usage;
	(2)  what legal advice his Department has sought on the prohibition of tobacco sales from vending machines from October 2011 and compliance with EU regulations;
	(3)  will provide compensation to cigarette vending machine companies to cover the costs of removing their machine stock in order to comply with the legislation prohibiting the sale of tobacco from vending machines coming into force in October 2011;
	(4)  what notification his Department has given to cigarette vending machine companies of a change in the law concerning their trade coming into effect in October 2011.

Anne Milton: The prohibition of tobacco sales from vending machines will come into force, in England, on 1 October 2011. This legislation only applies to vending machines used by the public to buy tobacco products.
	The Government believe this legislation is compliant with European Union law. Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have upheld this view.
	The Government is not intending to pay compensation to vending machine companies. We believe the regulations, which were made in March 2010, are a proportionate means of achieving important public health policy aims.
	Sinclair Collis and the members of the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators, who between them, own the majority of vending machines in England, are both well aware of the commencement date. A national communication campaign will confirm the position before October.

Tuberculosis

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children and (b) adults were diagnosed with tuberculosis in (i) West Kent primary care trust area, (ii) Medway primary care trust area, (iii) Kent and (iv) England in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Children and adults diagnosed with tuberculosis in West Kent primary care trust (PCT) area, Medway PCT area, Kent and England, three-year average number of cases, 1999-2009 
			  Medway PCT West Kent PCT Kent England  
			  Children 0-16 Adults 17+ Children 0-16 Adults 17+ Children 0-16 Adults 17+ Children 0-16 Adults 17+ All cases 
			 1999-2001 <5 18 <5 22 <5 65 475 5,474 5,954 
			 2000-02 <5 15 <5 21 <5 63 496 5,826 6,326 
			 2001-03 <5 18 <5 21 <5 72 497 6,019 6,517 
			 2002-04 <5 13 <5 25 <5 76 484 6,269 6,753 
			 2003-05 <5 13 <5 29 <5 77 491 6,616 7,108 
			 2004-06 <5 12 <5 34 <5 83 513 6,949 7,463 
			 2005-07 <5 15 <5 38 <5 95 536 7,142 7,679 
			 2006-08 <5 19 <5 47 <5 118 555 7,207 7,763 
			 2007-09 <5 20 <5 53 5 127 560 7,391 7,951 
			 Notes: 1. The latest year for which data are currently available is 2009. 2. Three -year average numbers have been provided as the annual numbers per PCT are small and may vary year on year just by chance. 3. Exact figures are not provided where the number of cases was less than five due to a risk of deductive disclosure of a patient's identity. 4. All cases include those with an unknown age, so numbers in adults and children may not add up to the total. 5. Numbers of cases in Kent are defined as those residing in one of the three PCTs in Kent (Eastern and Coastal Kent, Medway and West Kent). Source: Health Protection Agency

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not spent anything on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the effectiveness of the Carbon Emission Reduction Target.

Gregory Barker: A full assessment of the effectiveness of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) should only be made after the scheme ends in December 2012. However, an independent evaluation of how the scheme operates and customer experiences has been carried out and is informing the development of the future energy company obligation. This report will be published in autumn 2011.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Government plans to purchase offset credits to meet the second carbon budget.

Charles Hendry: A limit of 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent was set at the end of June for the second carbon budget period, for sectors outside the EU Emissions Trading System, purely on a contingency basis, this figure being consistent with what is permitted under the EU framework. Our latest emissions projections indicate that we do not expect there to be a need to purchase offset credits to meet the currently legislated second carbon budget level.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish the correspondence between the Government and the Committee on Climate Change since March 2011 on the use of offset credits to meet the second carbon budget.

Charles Hendry: Correspondence between the Government and the Committee on Climate Change on the use of offset credits in the second carbon budget period has been published. The advice to Government from the CCC was published on the CCC's website(1) and the Government's response, in a letter from the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker), to Lord Turner, was published on the DECC website(2) on 7 June.
	Note  (1)
	http://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/Letter_Lord%20Turner_Chris%20Huhne%20MP_220311.pdf
	Note  (2)
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/A%20low%20carbon%20UK/Carbon%20budgets/1776-letter-barker-turner-carbonbudget-0611.pdf

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions on the projections made by (a) Cambridge Econometrics and (b) his Department on the effects of the recession on levels of emissions over the first budget period.

Charles Hendry: It is important for the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) to have the best understanding possible of likely future emissions trends. For this reason the Secretary of State often discusses the assumptions and drivers regarding emissions projections with officials and other stakeholders. However, there are no records of any meetings that have been set up specifically to discuss the impact of the recession on Cambridge Econometrics' projections or DECC projections.

Carbon Emissions: EU Action

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had on steps to promote support for an increase in the EU emissions reduction target to 30 per cent. by 2020.

Gregory Barker: We remain committed to achieving EU agreement on a move to a 30% target and I have had a number of meetings with my ministerial counterparts from EU member states to try to build support to make this possible. In March this year, climate Ministers from Portugal, Spain and Sweden, Denmark, Greece and Germany joined the UK in signing a ministerial article making the economic case for a move to a 30% target.

Carbon Sequestration: Employment

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to commissioning an independent assessment of the potential number of people that could be employed by the carbon capture and storage industry in the UK up to 2050.

Charles Hendry: Analysis commissioned by DECC and published in March 2011 shows that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) represents a major economic opportunity to the UK because of both domestic and export market potential. 70,000 to 100,000 jobs could be sustained by 2030 by Carbon Abatement Technologies, including CCS.
	The UK is well placed to exploit the market opportunities and CCS represents new business opportunities. Analysis previously commissioned by DECC highlighted areas of UK strength in procurement and manufacturing, engineering design, project management, construction, financial, legal and commissioning.

Climate Change: EU Action

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the European Commission on proposals for a reprioritisation of the EU budget to support the EU's energy and climate change priorities.

Gregory Barker: The Government's representations to the European Commission on funding from the EU in support of the EU's energy and climate change priorities, and indeed on all funding from the EU budget, in both the annual budget and Multi-Annual Financial Framework processes is led by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), supported by relevant Government Departments.
	While controlling the size of the budget is the UK's main priority, the Government believe that funding for climate change should make up a larger share of an EU budget that increases, at most, by no more than inflation in the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework, and that climate change objectives should be mainstreamed across all relevant headings, ensuring that the EU's investments are compatible with and contribute to the EU's cost-effective transition to a low carbon economy. The Government have made this case to the Commission and will continue to do so as negotiations on the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework progress.

Climate Change: Taiwan

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on participation by Taiwan in discussions on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Gregory Barker: The Government support Taiwan's practical participation in international organisations where this does not require statehood. Taiwan is currently represented at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings by a non-governmental organisation, the Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), has made eight return flights and a single in-country transfer flight in economy class within the last 12 months.
	All travel is undertaken in line with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year.

Gregory Barker: No senior civil servants at permanent secretary, director general or director level have worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in the last four years.
	The information on deputy directors is not available due to the disproportionate cost entailed in obtaining the information.
	DECC does not hold central records of contracts. Therefore the information requested on contracts is not available due to the disproportionate cost entailed in obtaining the information.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Gregory Barker: In June 2011, the Department of Energy and Climate Change received 866 letters from hon. Members.

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by what date he expects his plans for electricity market reform to have delivered increased (a) security of supply and (b) competition.

Charles Hendry: The Electricity Market Reform White Paper, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/white_papers/emr_wp_2011/emr_wp_2011.aspx
	includes a consultation on possible models for a capacity mechanism to deliver increased security of supply, by ensuring that sufficient reliable capacity is in place when needed. We will decide on the type of capacity mechanism around the turn of the year, and intend to legislate for the mechanism in the second session. Our current analysis indicates that a capacity mechanism is likely to be needed from around the end of this decade.
	The electricity market reforms are about creating appropriate incentives to support investment, while improving competition to ensure that the costs to consumers are minimised. The EMR measures will work alongside other market reform proposals, for example from Ofgem, designed to improve competition in the market. We expect improvements to competition to follow the 2014 EMR implementation date.

Electricity

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that the retrofitting of the public sector estate with energy efficiency measures form part of his plans for electricity market reform.

Charles Hendry: The aim of electricity market reform is to ensure the investment we need to meet our security of supply and decarbonisation targets at least cost. Energy efficiency could have a role to play in meeting our targets in a cost-effective way, and we will assess whether the existing package of energy efficiency measures is providing adequate encouragement for efficiency improvements in electricity usage, to determine whether there might be a need for appropriate additional measures.
	The retrofitting of the public sector estate with energy efficiency measures will not form a specific part of the electricity market reform programme. We encourage all public bodies to invest in energy efficiency, which enables them to reduce costs and CO2 emissions. We have already taken decisive action to reduce central Government emissions by 13.8% (exceeding our original target of a 10% reduction). We are now being even more ambitious with a 25% target by the end of this Parliament.

Electricity

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with electricity company executives to discuss new market arrangements using long-term contracts in preparation for delivery of the fourth carbon budget.

Charles Hendry: A list of meetings that the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) has held with stakeholders, including electricity company executives, are published quarterly and can be found on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx

Electricity

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many meetings involving officials of his Department were held in December 2010 to discuss the consultation on new electricity market arrangements; and who attended such meetings.

Charles Hendry: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	DECC officials participated in a number of meetings in December 2010 on the EMR consultation with organisations including energy utilities, independent generators, independent renewable generators, consumer groups, Ofgem, National Grid, Green NGOs and investors.

Energy Bill 2010-12

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the memorandum (EN18) submitted by Which? to the Public Bill Committee on the Energy Bill [Lords].

Gregory Barker: I welcome the contribution this detailed memorandum made to the progress of the Energy Bill in Committee stage, and value Which?'s ongoing engagement in the development of the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. My officials have had constructive meetings with Which? in the course of preparing for this autumn's Consultation and I look forward to our continued engagement with Which? in the lead up to and during the Consultation.

Energy Performance Certificates

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to co-ordinate the Green Deal with the roll-out of energy performance certificates.

Gregory Barker: The existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPCs) will be adapted to form the basis of the Green Deal Assessment. The assessment starts every Green Deal customer journey.

Energy Performance Certificates

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many meetings officials of his Department have had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on steps to improve the framework surrounding energy performance certificates.

Gregory Barker: Last year my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government initiated a joint examination of how the Energy Performance of Buildings regime, covering Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), might be improved. Both Departments have been involved in regular meetings at both ministerial and official level to ensure that Green Deal and EPC policies fit together.

Energy: Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  when he next plans to reassess the operational effectiveness of the Energy Retail Association Code of Practice for Accurate Billing;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the level of compliance by energy companies with their obligations under the Energy Retail Association Code of Practice for Accurate Billing.

Charles Hendry: The Code of Practice for Accurate Billing is a voluntary agreement sponsored by the Energy Retail Association, of which five of the big six suppliers are code members. The operational effectiveness and compliance are matters for the code's governing board.
	Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply. It is open to Ofgem to consider whether additional regulatory protection is required.

Energy: Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what meetings he has had with representatives of major energy companies to discuss the issue of accurate billing since May 2010;
	(2)  what meetings his Department and its predecessor held with representatives of major energy companies to discuss the issue of accurate billing between May 2005 and May 2010.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers, both past and present, and officials meet with energy suppliers on a regular basis to discuss market issues.
	The Government have confirmed that smart meters will be rolled out to domestic customers by 2019. Smart meters allow remote reading of meters, and therefore enable entirely accurate billing.

Energy: Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the monetary value of funds held by energy companies as a result of over-estimated consumer bills in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of trends in the monetary value of funds held by energy companies as a result of over-estimated consumer bills.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including customer payments. In 2009, Ofgem introduced a new supply licence condition that came into effect in January 2010 and requires suppliers to ensure customers' direct debit payments are clearly and accurately explained and are based on the best available information. Suppliers are also required to justify why they are holding onto any credit balances built up by customers. It is for Ofgem to assess whether suppliers comply with the licence condition and take action if they do not.

Energy: British Antarctic Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what expenditure his Department has undertaken on energy provision in the British Antarctic territory.

Charles Hendry: None.

Energy: British Antarctic Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on energy provision in the British Antarctic territory.

Charles Hendry: DECC has no involvement in the provision of energy in the British Antarctic Territory.
	The British Antarctic Survey maintains a permanent year-round British presence in Antarctica at its scientific bases Rothera and Halley. The provision of energy (including costs of procurement and transportation) to these bases is a matter for the British Antarctic Survey.

Energy: Conservation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the effectiveness of the Community Energy Saving Programme.

Gregory Barker: A full assessment of the effectiveness of the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) can only be made after the scheme ends in December 2012. However, an independent evaluation of how the scheme has operated to date has been carried out and is informing the development of the future energy company obligation. A report on this CESP evaluation will be published in autumn 2011.

Energy: Conservation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on (a) the Greater Manchester Housing Retrofit Programme, (b) steps to encourage local authorities to become involved in delivering energy efficiency measures in their areas and (c) the extension of display energy certificates to commercial buildings.

Gregory Barker: The Department has liaised closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government on all of these issues.
	(a) We will learn what we can from the Greater Manchester Housing Retrofit Programme to help inform the Green Deal;
	(b) We have discussed a number of issues around local authority support for energy efficiency improvements in their area, including potential Green Deal models. We will work closely with DCLG on new guidance for the Home Energy Conservation Act;
	(c) We have discussed the case for rolling out display energy certificates to commercial buildings and whether this could be done without placing undue burdens on business.

Energy: Conservation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings he has had with (a) large retailers and private sector Green Deal participants and (b) energy companies to discuss partnerships under the Energy Company Obligation.

Gregory Barker: The Department has had a number of meetings with energy companies, large retailers and a range of other potential Green Deal participants. We have explored how we can design a framework that is sufficiently flexible to enable partnerships to develop.
	The UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE), representing energy companies, is working with DECC to develop an approach whereby all Green Deal providers can access ECO subsidy without necessarily needing formal partnerships with energy companies.

Energy: Conservation

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the likely sustained reductions in energy consumption by households following the installation of in-home displays.

Charles Hendry: The Impact Assessment in the smart meter rollout for the domestic sector (published 30 March 2011) estimates total consumer benefits of £4.6 billion. By 2020 the average domestic customer (with both electricity and gas) is expected to save around £23 per year on their energy bill as a result of smart metering.
	We have assumed that the annual reductions in demand will be as follows: 2.8% for electricity (credit and pre-payment meter); 2% for gas credit and 0.5% for gas pre-payment meter. The likely sustained reductions in energy consumption are based on the combined impact of the installation of smart meters, in-home displays and our consumer engagement strategy . Our energy savings assumptions are based on reviews of available international evidence and further informed by trials carried out in Great Britain.

Energy: Conservation

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of ways of communicating with consumers other than via the in-home display.

Charles Hendry: The Government published their Response to the Prospectus Consultation(1) on smart metering on 30 March 2011. This stated that suppliers should provide domestic consumers with an in-home display that meets the relevant technical specifications, but that in addition we would expect to see the development of options for consumers to access smart metering information in other ways, for instance through the internet, mobile phones or locally via a personal computer. There is also potential to communicate energy consumption information and advice on paper, on or with energy bills or via a separate communication.
	The Department assessed the findings of the final report of the Energy Demand Research Project (EDRP), co-funded by DECC and published on 23 June. This provided evidence specific to the GB context on the effectiveness of ways of communicating with consumers. The report concludes that the combination of smart meters and Real Time Displays consistently resulted in energy savings of around 3% but with some higher and lower savings, depending on fuel, customer group and period. The EDRP found that savings from generic written advice and historic feedback resulted in a reduction in consumption of up to 5%.
	The Department also considered a number of international studies have considered the effectiveness of ways of communicating with consumers other than via the IHD. A recent review of 57 feedback studies in nine different countries by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy(2) found that on average feedback reduces energy consumption between 4-12%, with higher (9%) savings associated with real-time feedback.
	(1 )http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/smart_mtr_imp/smart_mtr_imp.aspx
	(2 )Erhardt-Martinez, Donnelly, Laitner, Advanced Metering Initiatives and Residential Feedback Programs: A Meta-Review for Household Electricity-Saving Opportunities, June 2010.

Energy: Greater London

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many applications for Community Energy Saving Programme funding his Department has received from (a) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) each other London borough.

Gregory Barker: The Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) is funded by the obligated energy companies, who develop scheme proposals, with the involvement of the relevant local authority, for submission to the programme administrator, Ofgem.
	As of 23 August 2011, CESP schemes in the following London boroughs had been submitted to Ofgem for approval:
	
		
			 London borough Number of schemes submitted per borough 
			 Tower Hamlets 2 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2 
			 Ealing 1 
			 Hackney 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1 
			 Haringey 1 
			 Havering 3 
			 Lambeth 1 
			 Lewisham 1 
			 Newham 1 
			 Southwark 1 
			 Waltham Forest 1 
			 Westminster 1 
			 Total 17 
		
	
	The 20 remaining London boroughs currently have no CESP schemes submitted to Ofgem for approval.

Energy: Housing

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1371W, on energy: housing, when he plans to publish the progress reports under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the previous answer I gave him on 7 July: we will publish a HECA progress report after the launch of the Green Deal. This progress report will give consideration to retrospective data as well as future requirements under HECA.

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the (a) cost and (b) effectiveness of existing smart meter technology in preparing its smart meter roll-out programme.

Charles Hendry: The Smart metering implementation programme is establishing common minimum specifications for the GB market which will ensure smart meters installed during mass roll-out are interoperable and deliver the functionalities required to realise the programme's benefits. These benefits include providing consumers with near real-time information to help them understand and manage their energy use, smoother and faster switching between suppliers, and removing the need for onsite meter readings.
	The costs and benefits of a range of different features have been considered and analysed, supported by extensive consultation with industry, including product manufacturers, consumer groups and other stakeholders. This analysis informed the Government's conclusions on the minimum functional requirements for smart meters, which were set out in the March 2011 Response to the Prospectus consultation.

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of individuals required to deliver the smart meter roll-out programme between 2014 and 2019.

Charles Hendry: In the March 2011 response to the Prospectus Consultation, the Government announced their intention to bring forward a proposal to obligate energy suppliers to complete the roll-out in 2019. It is expected that most consumers will receive a smart meter between 2014 and 2019.
	The Government will also require larger suppliers to submit and maintain plans that are realistically capable of achieving their roll-out obligations. Energy suppliers are currently developing their individual roll-out strategies which will include detailed work force planning. At the peak of mass roll-out a significantly larger work force will be required than current levels. Recent research by The National Skills Academy (August 2011) estimates that in the peak years of 2016 and 2017, around 7,500-8,000 meter installers will be employed compared to existing work force levels of approximately 3,200 people.

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the cost per household of the smart meter roll-out programme.

Charles Hendry: The Government's impact assessment estimates that the roll-out of smart meters to the domestic sector will deliver a net benefit of almost £5.1 billion, leading to an average bill saving of £23 per household in 2020 and £42 in 2030. This reflects an estimated total gross cost of the programme of £10.8 billion, offset by more than £15.8 billion in gross benefits. These benefits include the direct savings to households as they are able to use energy more efficiently and the cost savings achieved by energy suppliers which are expected to be passed through to consumers.

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has investigated the use of mobile telephone tariff and billing structures as best practice for the introduction of smart meter tariff and billing.

Charles Hendry: The Government expect the rollout of smart meters to open up the energy market to new products and services, including more innovative energy tariffs. While we do not currently expect to mandate tariff structures, we believe it is important that all consumers are able to take advantage of the benefits of smart metering. The programme will monitor and review the progress of the smart metering rollout, including the consumer experience of the process, and evaluate the evolving costs and benefits.

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the £23 in savings per household per year expected by the smart metering programme has been included in the estimated increases in consumer energy bills set out in the Electricity Market Reform White Paper.

Charles Hendry: The impact of EMR on household electricity bills is presented relative to a baseline that includes all the energy and climate change policies that are already in place or have been planned to a sufficient degree of detail (i.e. with quantified estimates of costs and benefits).
	The baseline bill includes the impact of the environmental policies such as the Existing and Extended RO, Carbon Price Floor, Feed-in-Tariffs, EU Emissions Trading System and EU Minimum Efficiency Standards for Energy using Products. In addition, the baseline bill for the average household includes the impact of the GB rollout of smart meters, Community Energy Saving Programme, Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), CERT Extension, a Future Supplier Obligation following CERT, Better Billing, and Security measures.
	In the baseline, average household electricity bills rise by approximately £200 by 2030. This increase is driven by increases in wholesale prices, network costs, as well as environmental policies.
	With EMR policies in place, the increase in average household electricity bills could be limited to £160.

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to engage consumers in the smart meter roll-out programme.

Charles Hendry: The Government published their Response to the Prospectus Consultation(1) on smart metering on 30 March 2011. This stated that the Government will develop a strategy for promoting consumer engagement and that there is a strong case for some elements to be carried out centrally or on a co-ordinated basis. The Department is now working to develop the strategy and a plan for its implementation, working closely with industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders.
	(1 )www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/smart_mtr_imp/smart_mtr_imp.aspx

Energy: Meters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of the population which uses pre-payment and pay-as-you-go meters to pay for energy supplies; and for what reasons such capabilities are being built into smart meters for the smart meter roll-out programme.

Charles Hendry: In the March 2011 Response to the Prospectus consultation, the Government set out the functional requirements for smart meters. The costs and benefits of a range of different features have been considered and analysed, supported by extensive consultation with industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders. The functional requirements have been developed to ensure the benefits of the programme are delivered.
	In 2010 Ofgem(1) estimated that around 15% of electricity customers and 12% of gas customers paid through a pre-payment meter. The remote functionality of smart meters will allow switching between payment methods (credit or prepayment) without the expense of exchanging the meter and will reduce the current higher than average costs associated with providing services to pre-payment customers. It is expected that new and more flexible payment options will be introduced, such as top-ups over the phone, via the internet, or at automated teller machines (ATMs), supporting a wider pay-as-you-go market. The pre-payment capability should also enable suppliers to better manage customer debt, resulting in cost savings that can be passed on to all consumers.
	(1) Domestic suppliers' social obligations: 2010 annual report (re/78/l I).

Energy: National Policy Statements

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons he has not included the Committee on Climate Change's 2030 carbon emissions reduction target in the Energy National Policy Statement (EN-1).

Charles Hendry: We did not include the Committee's advice on the 2030 carbon emissions reduction target because 2030 is halfway through the fifth carbon budget (2028-32) which has not yet been set. The fifth carbon budget will be set by June 2016, as required by the Climate Change Act 2008.

Environment Protection: Taxation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the level of subsidy to energy companies created by the introduction of a carbon floor price in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The carbon price floor announced in the Budget is intended to create economic incentives to invest in low-carbon electricity generation. It does not provide a subsidy to energy companies.

Gas Fired Power Stations

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the generating capacity is of combined cycle gas turbine plants approved by his Department since 5 May 2010.

Charles Hendry: Between 5 May 2010 and 31 August, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), granted consent under s.36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to five combined cycle gas turbine plants with a total maximum generating capacity of 5670 megawatts (MW).

Green Deal Scheme

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has considered the potential effects on the impartiality of Green Deal assessors of sales commissions and other incentives.

Gregory Barker: The impartiality of the assessment will be protected through the application of a standardised methodology and quality assurance of assessors' work by UKAS-accredited certification bodies. Assessors working for Green Deal providers will also be subject to compliance with relevant requirements around disclosure of information, such as commercial affiliations.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings his Department has had with representatives of the commercial sector on the application of the Green Deal to the non-domestic sector.

Gregory Barker: Ministers and officials have had extensive engagement with commercial sector representatives on the Green Deal including an industry round table meeting which I chaired, several individual meetings and a regular forum co-ordinated by the British Property Federation.

Mass Media

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to (a) the publication by the Prime Minister of his meetings with media executives and (b) paragraph 74 of the Third Report of the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09, on written parliamentary questions, HC 952, if he will publish a list of each meeting the Rt. hon. Member for Doncaster North held with newspaper and media proprietors, editors and senior media executives, whilst he was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, disclosing the same information as if a request had been submitted under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 provisions and using the same criteria and methodology as the Prime Minister in compiling his list.

Gregory Barker: It is not the responsibility of the current Government to account for the previous Government.

Motor Vehicles

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met representatives of (i) BMW, (ii) Chevrolet, (iii) Ford, (iv) Peugeot, (v) Vauxhall and (vi) Volkswagen to discuss vehicle efficiency improvements since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Meetings of DECC Ministers with external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website.

Natural Gas: Business

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on reducing the cost of gas to businesses.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers and officials meet with energy suppliers on a regular basis to discuss market issues.
	Ofgem is tackling barriers to effective competition such as low wholesale market liquidity in its retail market review, which should put pressure on prices. In addition, we are taking steps through the Energy Bill to confer on Ofgem a power to sharpen commercial incentives on gas shippers to prepare for low probability/high impact gas supply disruptions. This is intended to improve the resilience of our gas supply infrastructure, and should reduce the impact of such events on prices.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of decommissioning arrangements for currently operating nuclear power stations.

Charles Hendry: Currently operating power stations include the 15 reactors at eight nuclear power stations which EDF Energy operates in the UK following its acquisition of British Energy, and the two reactors operated by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
	Detailed plans have been developed by the NDA for decommissioning Oldbury and Wylfa, incorporating lessons learnt from decommissioning the earlier Magnox stations. These plans have recently been reviewed by DECC and Shareholder Executive to define the programme of work for this spending review period.
	EDF Energy is responsible for decommissioning its own stations, but the NDA is charged with reviewing and approving EDF's plans, and approving payments for decommissioning by the Nuclear Liabilities Fund. These plans are now integrated with the Magnox equivalents, with the expectation that this approach will produce future cost savings.
	A comprehensive report on decommissioning arrangements for operating nuclear power stations was included as part of the Government's contribution to the 3rd Report to the European Council and European Parliament on the Management of Financial Resources for the Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations, Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what account he expects the EU nuclear stress testing process to take of Dr Weightman's final report on lessons learnt for the UK nuclear industry from events at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear site in March 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The EU nuclear stress test initiative arises from conclusions of the European Council on 25 March 2011 and cover all 143 nuclear powers plants across the EU, whereas Dr Weightman's report is in response to a commission from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the implications for the UK nuclear industry from the Fukushima incident in March 2011. Dr Weightman's interim report of May 2011 contains 26 recommendations and it is his expectation that UK nuclear plant operators will take appropriate account of his recommendations in their stress tests.
	Dr Weightman will address progress on the UK stress tests in his final report to the Secretary of State in the autumn. The Office for Nuclear Regulation will provide a separate report on the final UK results to the European Commission, in line with its timetable, in December which will contribute to EU wide conclusions on the initiative.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that the nuclear stress tests agreed by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group are adhered to in full; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: EU member states agreed that stress tests will be undertaken at all 143 nuclear power plants in the EU from June onwards. Plant operators are undertaking the stress tests and will report their findings to the national nuclear regulators for assessment and verification in two stages, a progress report by 15 August and a final report by 31 October 2011. National regulators will then produce a national report on progress by 15 September and the final findings by 31 December 2011. Both reports will be submitted to the European Commission.
	The UK national regulator, the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR), has written to, and had meetings with, all UK nuclear power plant operators setting out what is expected of them in relation to applying the criteria of the stress test. This has been done as part of ONR's regulatory function to ensure that operators are complying with the UK's regulatory framework which requires operators to achieve, so far as is reasonably practicable, continuous improvements in safety. Applying the lessons learned from events at Fukushima is covered by this general legal duty on operators.
	Should the ONR consider that operators are not meeting their statutory responsibilities at any time, it has the necessary enforcement powers to achieve compliance.

Nuclear Power: Decommissioning

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on (i) military and (ii) civil nuclear decommissioning in (A) each of the last 10 years and (B) 2011-12; and how much has been budgeted for expenditure in each category in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Charles Hendry: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, established in 2005, is responsible for tackling the UK's historic civil and military legacy. It is funded by a combination of direct Government grant, and commercial income. The following table sets out what the NDA has spent since its formation on completing its core mission, excluding commercial operations, alongside its projected spending for each year of the next spending review period. Due to the integration of many of civil and military historic legacy facilities, it is not possible to separate expenditure on civil and military decommissioning. The NDA's mission is to decommission the whole nuclear legacy estate as efficiently as possible, and the most effective approach is to treat it as a whole—irrespective of origin.
	
		
			  NDA expenditure, excluding commercial 
			 2005-06 1,596 
			 2006-07 1,699 
			 2007-08 1,779 
			 2008-09 1,909 
			 2009-10 2,162 
			 2010-11 2,069 
			 2011-12 2,441 
			 2012-13 2,449 
			 2013-14 2,527 
			 2014-15 2,405 
		
	
	Prior to 2005 nuclear legacy issues which are now the responsibility of the NDA were owned by British Nuclear Fuels and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Details of their expenditure on decommissioning are set out in their published annual reports and accounts.
	The decommissioning of current military nuclear facilities is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and covers a wide range of activities, from submarine reactors and nuclear warheads to infrastructure. Details of budgeted and actual costs for military nuclear decommissioning, are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, the MOD does not routinely publish figures for anticipated annual project expenditure, as to do so would prejudice commercial interests and jeopardise the negotiating position of the Department.

Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: As part of the electricity market reform package to decarbonise electricity generation published on 12 July 2011, the Government have proposed an Emissions Performance Standard which will provide a clear regulatory signal on the amount of carbon new fossil-fuel power stations can emit.

Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on efforts to achieve carbon reduction targets of the use of coal-fired power stations.

Gregory Barker: Coal provides a valuable role in the UK’s energy mix, providing diversity and security of supply. We cannot, however, sustain investment in new, wholly unabated coal if we are to meet our carbon targets. Fossil fuels with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) can play a vital role in our future energy mix, helping to balance baseload nuclear and intermittent renewables. CCS is the only technology that can significantly reduce C02 emissions from fossil fuel power stations—by as much as 90%. That is why the Government are committed to providing public funding for four CCS demonstration plants.

Solar Power: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on investment in solar power in British Overseas Territories in each of the past five years.

Gregory Barker: DECC has not spent any money on solar power in British Overseas Territories in any of the last five years.

Solar Power: Satellites

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Government has (a) commissioned or (b) evaluated any research into the practicalities of transmitting solar energy by satellite from space to Earth.

Gregory Barker: We are not aware of any such research undertaken by the Government. The 2011 Budget includes a £10 million provision for the UK Space Agency to support the development of space technology in the UK through a competition process which could include technologies for space-based solar power generation and supply to ground.

Thorium: Research

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 295-6W, on thorium, what the cost was of the study by the National Nuclear Laboratory; whether the study was put out for competitive tender; and in what form the findings will be made publicly available.

Charles Hendry: The cost of the study by the National Nuclear Laboratory on Advanced Reactor Designs and Fuel Cycle options, referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr Robertson), is £30,000. As is routine for projects of this value that require the resources of unique, specialist institutions, it was let as a single tender- action following scrutiny via DECC's business approvals process.
	The findings will be made available to the public in the form of the peer-reviewed reports that NNL will supply, as well as being summarised in a more accessible form to non-experts via DECCs routine communications and correspondence.

Tidal Power: Manpower

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 493W, on tidal power: manpower, if he will commission an independent assessment of the potential number of people that could be employed by the wave and tidal sector in the UK up to 2050;
	(2)  whether he has considered the merits of commissioning an independent assessment of the potential number of people that could be employed by the (a) offshore and (b) onshore wind industry in the UK up to 2050;
	(3)  what consideration his Department has given to commissioning an independent assessment of the potential number of people that could be employed by the renewable energy industry in the UK up to 2050.

Charles Hendry: We are aware of a number of assessments by external bodies on the future employment potential of the renewable energy sector, including:
	Wave a nd t idal
	The Carbon Trust's “Focus For Success” report estimates that the wave sector alone could create around 16,000 direct jobs by 2040, with 25% supporting UK exports.
	Offshore wind
	The Carbon Trust estimates that the offshore wind sector could employ up to 66,000 people in the UK by 2020 with a possibility of up to 230,000 by 2050(1).
	Onshore wind
	RenewableUK estimates in “Working for a Green Britain Vol 2: Future employment and skills in the UK wind and marine industries” that under a medium scenario there could be around 10,300 direct and 6,100 indirect jobs in the onshore wind sector in 2021.
	Biomass energy
	A number of studies have been conducted to consider the economic potential in the bioenergy sector. For example, a 2007 study to quantify employment from biomass power plants2 showed that power only bioenergy systems typically create 1.27 man years of employment per GWh electricity produced. A recent study for the Forestry Commission in June 2010 found that the woodfuel sector alone could contribute £l billion to the UK economy by 2020 and support 15,300 jobs(3).
	Given these and other independent reports, I have no plans to commission further evidence but will keep this under review. The Government fully recognise the employment opportunities that the growth of renewable energy can create.
	(1 )Source: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/news/news/press-centre/2011/Pages/offshore-wind-gg.aspx
	(2 )“Quantification of employment from biomass power plants” (Thornley et al, November 2007).
	(3) “The economic value of the woodfuel industry to the UK economy by 2020” (Centre for Economics and Business Research, 2010).

Utilities: Competition

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking in relation to geographical monopolies by utility companies.

Charles Hendry: Energy networks operators, as with most utility network operators, are natural monopolies, and are therefore closely regulated to protect consumers. In this sector the energy regulator. Ofgem, regulates the companies through five-year price control periods which mimic the effects of competition by curbing their expenditure and incentivising them to be efficient and to innovate technically.
	Price controls are set for the 14 companies that run the regional electricity networks, the four companies that operate the energy transmission networks and the four companies that own the local gas distribution networks.
	Competition does exist with regard to constructing new connections between the consumer and the local electricity network, which is an important element of work undertaken by network operators. Customers of network operators have the option to have some of the connection work, referred to as contestable work, carried out by a third party connection provider.

Wind Power

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings his Department has held with representatives of (a) Gamesa, (b) Siemens and (c) Vestas on planned turbine manufacture in the UK.

Charles Hendry: I regularly meet with the developers responsible for the construction of offshore wind farms through the Offshore Wind Developers' Forum, which brings together Government and industry to help remove barriers to the development of the sector and to maximise the economic benefit to the UK. The most recent meeting of the forum took place on 21 June. The Department has also held a number of meetings with companies considering investing in new manufacturing facilities to serve the offshore wind sector, details of which are commercially confidential.

TRANSPORT

Airports: Closures

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many airports have closed in the last two years; whether he has estimated the number of airports at risk of closure; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Coventry airport temporarily closed in 2009, before reopening in 2010. I am aware of the announcement that Plymouth airport is to close by the end of the year, following the cessation of passenger services. We recognise the important role that airports can play in local economies but closure plans are a commercial matter for the airport operator.

Aviation: Security

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the effect of the application by low-cost airlines of the one-bag rule for carry-on baggage on the behaviour of passengers making purchases at airports.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has no plans to investigate this issue. The size and amount of cabin or hold baggage that a passenger is permitted to take on board a commercial aircraft is a matter for airlines to decide as private commercial companies.

Aviation: Security

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission regarding the Spanish Government's recent legislation on passenger rights to take duty free and travel retail purchase onto an aircraft in addition to their normal airline hand baggage allowance.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has had no discussions. The size and amount of cabin or hold baggage that a passenger is permitted to take on board a commercial aircraft is a matter for airlines to decide as private commercial companies.

Aviation: Taiwan

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on participation by Taiwan as an observer country in proceedings of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Theresa Villiers: The Government support Taiwan's practical participation in international organisations where this does not require statehood.
	Taiwan continues to seek meaningful participation in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and has attended a number of ICAO events, including the 37th Assembly in October last year, in an unofficial capacity. However, we are not aware of there being any formal approaches to the organisation.
	There have not been any formal discussions either with Taiwan or ICAO on this matter and it is for Taiwan itself to decide how it wishes to proceed.

Cycling: Accidents

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrian (a) injuries and (b) fatalities have resulted from collisions with cyclists in each year since 2003.

Michael Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Reported number of pedestrian casualties in accidents involving pedal cycles in Great Britain: 2003-10 
			 Number of casualties 
			  Killed Injured  (1) 
			 2003 4 255 
			 2004 1 235 
			 2005 3 276 
			 2006 3 223 
			 2007 4 225 
			 2008 1 260 
			 2009 0 292 
			 2010 4 337 
			 (1) Seriously and slightly injured

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Road Traffic

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the likely effect on traffic volumes at the Dartford Crossing of a new crossing to the west to link the North and South Circular Roads.

Michael Penning: The Department does not currently have any plans to assess the likely effect on traffic volumes at the Dartford Crossing of a new crossing to the west to link the North and South Circular Roads. However, the Department did make clear in its spending review announcement last autumn that it would embark on a review of the options for future capacity in the Lower Thames area. The Department is in the process of programming this work and will need to consider various factors that could influence traffic demand in defining the scope of further work.

Driving Offences

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers of non-UK registered vehicles were discovered driving in the UK beyond the allowed six-month period in (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007, (e) 2008, (f) 2009 and (g) 2010; and what steps his Department takes with respect to such drivers upon discovery.

Michael Penning: Between 2006 and 2011, 1,749 non-UK registered vehicles have been clamped for being in the UK for over six months without re-registering. The figures are not broken down on an annual basis.
	If there is evidence that a foreign vehicle is in breach of the law, it can be clamped and impounded. In addition to enforcement action, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency operate a strategy of education and awareness to tackle non-compliant unlicensed foreign vehicles. This approach has included presentations to community leaders, articles in the media, the issue of information leaflets and warning notices placed on vehicles' windscreens.

Driving Offences

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to ensure that drivers of non-UK registered vehicles have appropriate motor insurance when driving in the UK.

Michael Penning: All drivers using roads in the UK must have at least third party insurance covering the use of their vehicle in this country. Under EU law all insurance policies issued in any EU member state must include the use of that vehicle for minimum third party risks for temporary visits to all EU member states.
	Drivers must be able to produce evidence that they have the necessary insurance cover in place on request from the police.

Driving Offences

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to identify drivers of non-UK registered vehicles who continue to drive in the UK beyond the allowed six-month period.

Michael Penning: There is no central database of non-UK registered vehicles; the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) rely on road sighting reported to them from the police, traffic enforcement officials and members of the public and it records details of sightings of foreign vehicles to assist in estimating the time a vehicle has been present in the UK. If there is evidence that a foreign vehicle is in breach of the law, it can be clamped and impounded.
	The DVLA operate a strategy of education, warning as well as direct enforcement action to help tackle non-compliant unlicensed foreign vehicles. This approach has included presentations to community leaders, articles in the media, the issue of information leaflets and warning notices placed on vehicles' windscreens.

Driving Tests: Older People

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration the Government has given to measures to ensure that drivers over the age of 70 are fit to drive a motor vehicle in the last 10 years.

Michael Penning: The Strategic Framework for Road Safety, published on 11 May 2011, considers the issue of older drivers continuing to drive. It makes clear that we do not believe that mandatory re-testing is the best way forward. We favour an approach which helps older drivers to maintain and adapt their skills, including providing advice and support on when to reduce or stop driving and change to other methods of travel to maintain mobility. The framework includes a number of examples of education schemes for older drivers provided by local authorities and the training industry. We are looking to work with the voluntary sector and the training industry to develop further training schemes for older drivers.

Driving: Eyesight

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the number plate test for drivers meets the requirements of the EC Directive on Driving Licences 2009/113/EC which includes a recommendation for a visual field of at least 120 degrees.

Michael Penning: The number plate test is not intended or used to test the visual field. Optician based eyesight tests are used to ensure that those who have an underlying eye condition affecting the visual field are able to meet the appropriate standard.

Driving: Eyesight

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what data his Department has on the number of drivers on UK roads with eyesight that does not meet minimum standards required for safety.

Michael Penning: The Department does not hold data relating to the number of drivers on UK roads with eyesight that does not meet minimum standards.

Driving: Eyesight

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has on the effects of the number plate test for driver's eyesight on the road casualty incidence.

Michael Penning: No evidence is held.

Driving: Stop and Search

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of drivers of non-UK registered vehicles who were stopped by the police on suspicion of committing a crime were found to have adequate motor insurance in each year from 2004.

Michael Penning: We do not hold the information.
	All drivers using roads in the UK must have at least third party insurance covering the use of their vehicle in this country and be able to produce evidence that they have the necessary insurance cover in place on request from the police.

Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 to allow the owner of a port to refuse its use for the export of live animals.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bridgend on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 956W.

Liverpool Port

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether his Department has been notified of plans to build a baggage and passenger handling facility and additional vehicle bridge at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal;
	(2)  whether his Department has been notified of the plan by Liverpool city council to provide funding for a baggage and passenger handling facility and additional vehicle bridge at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

Michael Penning: The Department is aware that improvements to the terminal would be required in the event that cruise turnaround operations are allowed to commence there, and we understand that Liverpool city council has provisionally budgeted for some such works.
	The consultation on the proposal to permit turnaround at the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal, in return for a partial repayment of grant, ends on 15 September.

Liverpool Port

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the net present value is of the proposal by Liverpool city council to pay £5.3 million to the Exchequer over 15 years for the purposes of permitting turnaround calls at Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

Michael Penning: The net present value of the repayments, as of any revenue stream, depends on the base period and discount rate applied. Using a 5% nominal rate on a base one year before the first repayment, the net present value would be approximately £3.75 million.

Liverpool Port

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the monetary value of potential economic effects (a) in Liverpool and (b) elsewhere associated with proposals to allow the Liverpool Cruise Terminal to be used for turnaround calls.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) on 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1317W.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals relating to changes in the frequency of MOT testing; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 141W, to the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick).

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to changes in the rate of wear of tyres in formulating his plans to reform the MOT testing schedule;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the savings that will arise from his planned changes to the MOT testing schedule.

Michael Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 141W, to the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick).

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when commercial discussions with the Northern franchisee were initiated on the subject of provision of additional rolling stock to alleviate overcrowding on peak rail services in the North of England; and whether he has given consideration to using section 54 undertakings to reduce the costs of providing additional rolling stock on the Northern franchise in order to alleviate overcrowding in peak time rail services.

Theresa Villiers: Commercial discussions began in December 2009 after Northern Rail submitted a proposal for the procurement of additional rolling stock. The proposal was subsequently split into smaller interventions to assist delivery. Two agreements were signed in March 2010 for the operation of a net total of 18 additional carriages. Following the pause of the HLOS Programme due to the General Election in May 2010 and the subsequent spending review, negotiations resumed in January 2011 with Northern Rail for the conclusion of the remaining interventions. An agreement was reached in April 2011 for 20 additional EMU carriages and the final agreement was signed on 1 August 2011 for an additional 22 carriages.
	A section 54 was not considered appropriate for the additional rolling stock proposed for operation.

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the commitments in his Department's business plan relate to the provision of rolling stock on overcrowded rail services in the North of England; and what progress has been made on each such commitment.

Theresa Villiers: In its business plan, the Department is committed to complete the remaining negotiations with the Train Operating Companies for additional Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) by September 2011 and Electric Multiple Units (EMU) by December 2011.
	So far the Department has completed negotiations for the operation of 20 additional EMU carriages and 22 DMU carriages in the north of England.
	In addition, the Department is committed to the procurement of at least 36 new Electric Carriages for the Manchester-Scotland route by December 2011. Officials are currently in negotiation with TransPennine Express and expect to make an announcement later this year.
	Overall, the Department is committed to introducing 650 additional carriages on the rail network between May 2010 and March 2014. This was announced on 25 November 2010 following the comprehensive spending review. At least 104 of these carriages will be deployed in the north of England. In addition, the lengthened Pendolino trains which are planned for the Intercity West Coast franchise will benefit cities in the north west of England.

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department has allocated to provide additional carriages to alleviate overcrowding on peak services in the North of England under the Northern franchise agreement.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has agreed to provide Northern Rail with a total of £30.4 million for the operation of a total of net 60 additional carriages. This covers the net cost of additional passenger services until the end of the Northern Franchise.

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what metrics his Department will use to measure progress in alleviating overcrowding on peak services into Greater Manchester under the Northern franchise agreement.

Theresa Villiers: In August 2011 the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) published a new table based on summarised autumn 2010 passenger count data supplied by the DfT. This table covers AM peak arrivals and PM peak departures to/from each major regional city on a typical weekday in autumn 2010. It includes statistics on service provision (number of services and number of seats), passenger demand and number of standing passengers. This new table will be published annually as part of ORR’s National Rail Trends.
	The four HLOS agreements with Northern Rail will deliver 82% of the 2007 White Paper capacity (seats and standing spaces) target for the three hour morning peak into Manchester. In addition, the East Midlands Trains agreement concluded in March 2010 increases this to 103% of the target. Northern Rail have the contractual obligations to meet this target and the TOC will be updating the Department on progress in achieving this.

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much additional rolling stock will be provided through the Northern franchise agreement to alleviate overcrowded peak rail services into Greater Manchester in each of the next three years; and how many services entering Greater Manchester between 07.00 and 09.59 will be allocated the additional carriages procured by his Department through Northern Rail under the Northern franchise agreement.

Theresa Villiers: On 1 August, the Department concluded a final agreement with Northern Rail to procure additional carriages to alleviate crowding into Manchester and other northern cities. The majority of the additional carriages provide capacity into Greater Manchester.
	A total of 60 carriages will be introduced on the Northern Rail network. 10 of these are already in service and the remaining carriages will be introduced on the network in December 2011 and will be used until the end of the franchise.
	A total of 34 Northern Rail services into Greater Manchester between 07.00 and 09.59 will be strengthened, providing an additional 3,363 spaces (seating and standing). In addition, the Department has also secured 840 spaces on East Midlands Trains services into Manchester Piccadilly.

Parliament Square: Accidents

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group were (i) killed, (ii) seriously injured and (iii) slightly injured crossing the road in Parliament Square in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Michael Penning: The number of reported pedestrian casualties injured on roads in Parliament Square in each of the last three years is as follows:
	In  2008:
	One male aged 20-29 was slightly injured; and
	One female aged 30-39 was slightly injured.
	In 2009:
	Three males aged 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 were slightly injured.
	In 2010:
	One female aged 70-79 was seriously injured; and
	Two females aged 12-15, 40-49, and one further of unknown age were slightly injured.

Railways

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce vertical integration on the rail network.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has taken receipt of Sir Roy McNulty's final report on the value for money of the railway. The Department will be working closely with the Office of Rail Regulation and the rail industry over the next few months to analyse Sir Roy's recommendations and to agree proposals for the reform of the industry. The Government are expected to publish their proposals for the future of the rail industry in November.

Railways

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to support the reinstatement of local railway branch lines.

Theresa Villiers: It is for local authorities and Passenger Transport Executives, working with local enterprise partnerships to determine whether a new railway line, train service or station is the best way to meet local transport needs and to secure funding for set up and running costs.
	The Government have created opportunities for local promoters to secure funding for new local rail schemes by setting up the Regional Growth Fund and Local Sustainable Transport Fund, in addition to the Local Major Transport Schemes Budget.

Rescue Services: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what risk assessment on the closure of the coastguard stations at Clyde and Forth has been carried out; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Michael Penning: The proposals that I published on 14 July 2011 included an assessment of the systemic risks associated with the existing national Coastguard structure, of which Clyde and Forth form a part.
	The proposals for modernisation deal with the risks through the application of risk controls or mitigation.
	This information can be found within the supporting documentation to the Consultation document that is available on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s website
	www.dft.gov.uk/mca

Rolling Stock

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what long-term rolling stock cascade plans his Department has prepared; and when he plans to announce them.

Theresa Villiers: Work is under way to provide additional rolling stock on many routes around the country. Combined with the IEP, Thameslink and Crossrail projects, our plan is that 2,700 new carriages will be in service by the end of 2019. 349 additional carriages were added to the network during the coalition's first 12 months in office and progress has been made on the procurement process for carriages to be delivered under the IEP, Thameslink and Crossrail programmes.
	The last formal rolling stock plan was prepared by the previous administration, and published in July 2008. We will be considering Sir Roy McNulty's recommendations on rolling stock but start from the position that the rail industry should be best placed to lead on rolling stock cascade proposals, with the Government's role primarily focused on ensuring that these represent value for money.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger rail vehicles his Department has ordered from manufacturers domiciled in the UK since January 2004.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has not ordered any passenger rail vehicles since January 2004. The procurement of rolling stock is typically a matter for train operators and rolling stock leasing companies, with the Department's role being limited to ensuring that taxpayers and farepayers receive value for money.
	The Department for Transport is leading on the procurement of vehicles for the Thameslink and Intercity Express Projects but these are only at preferred bidder stage.
	While the Department facilitated the additional Class 390 Pendolino carriages that have recently begun to enter service, these were procured by Virgin West Coast Projects Ltd.
	Some years ago the Department began the process to procure 200 new diesel carriages but this was cancelled once further electrification of the network was announced.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what weighting is given in the evaluation of bids for rolling stock procured by his Department to (a) the RADAR plans for train manufacture and delivery submitted by bidders and (b) the empirical evidence of record of delivery of bidders in the UK and other countries.

Theresa Villiers: For rolling stock procurements led by the Department (namely the Thameslink and Intercity Express Programme procurements) bidders needed to clear compliance and deliverability assessments in order to pass the pre-qualification process. The empirical evidence of bidders' delivery in the UK and other countries was assessed in each programme's Pre-Qualification Questionnaire using a derivative of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Business Excellence Model aligned to the Department's objectives in conjunction with the RADAR method. The accreditation process for Thameslink, with associated weightings, may be viewed on the Department's website at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100409040702/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/thameslinkrollingstock/
	Following pre-qualification the bidders' responses to the Thameslink Invitation to Tender were required to include management plans demonstrating project deliverability. The RADAR methodology was also applied here. The assessment used the information submitted in the bidders' plans. The project deliverability assessment for Thameslink and associated weightings can also be seen on the Department's website.

Shipping: EU Law

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the UK's compliance with EU Directive 2009/16/EC on port state control; and how many foreign flagged high risk vessels have been inspected in the last period for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The UK has implemented a risk-based inspection scheme from 1 January 2011 and is carrying out duties under the directive to detain substandard ships. Draft regulations to complete implementation of the directive are under consultation with the shipping industry with a view to their being in place by the end of the year. 19 high risk foreign flag ships have been inspected in the period 1 January to 31 July 2011.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 June 2011, Official Report, columns 85-86WS, on Thameslink rolling stock, if he will make representations to the European Commission to seek to change the terms of the invitation to tender for the Thameslink contract to ensure that any effect on UK employment levels can be taken into account.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 13 July 2011
	The Secretary of State does not propose to make representations to the European Commission to seek to change the terms of the invitation to tender for the Thameslink rolling stock contract.
	He is satisfied that the process as advised to the bidders in the 2008 invitation to tender issued by the previous Government has been complied with. Neither the UK Government nor the European Commission has the power to make a retrospective change in terms of the tender which would override the rights of parties engaged in the tender process.
	The Government will be considering the operation of EU procurement rules as part of our Growth Review, which may impact on future public sector procurement.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will estimate the proportion of the financing provided by members of the Cross London Trains consortium for the bid for the Thameslink rolling stock contract that came from pension funds from schemes in the (a) public and (b) private sector; and if he will list any pensions schemes that contributed funding to the bid;
	(2)  which companies have provided finance for the (a) bid for and (b) delivery of the Thameslink rolling stock contract by Siemens.

Theresa Villiers: Prior to the issue of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project (TRSP) Invitation to Tender the Department entered into a Process Agreement with each bidder which requires the parties to maintain confidentiality during the TRSP procurement process.
	The Process Agreement requires the Secretary of State for Transport and the Department to keep confidential all information of whatsoever nature made available by the Bidder directly or indirectly as part of the content or terms of any TRSP proposal. The Process Agreement remains in force and consequently neither the bidder nor the Department may disclose any details about the TRSP bidders' proposals.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has sought legal advice on the possibility of reversing the award of preferred bidder status for the Thameslink rolling stock contract.

Theresa Villiers: It is in the public interest that the decisions taken by the Secretary of State are taken in a fully informed legal context where relevant. Communications between the Secretary of State and his legal advisers are subject to legal advice privilege.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) the public procurement rules or (b) the utilities rules were used for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project.

Theresa Villiers: The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006 are being used for this procurement.
	This is clear from the OJEU notice published in April 2008, and was also confirmed in section 2.1.1 of the Invitation to Tender (ITT), which is available on the DfT website.

Planning

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what impact assessment his Department has carried out on potential changes in parking provision arising from draft version 4 of the National Planning Policy Framework;
	(2)  whether rural developments will require the same provision of transport links as are required in urban areas under the provisions of draft version 4 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Planning Policy Framework consultation, which includes a draft impact assessment, was launched on 25 July. Copies of all documents are in the Library of the House.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Association of Chief Police Officers: Finance

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided to the Association of Chief Police Officers for property for the use of police officers and police staff in (a) the City of Westminster, (b) Greater London and (c) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Accidents: Fees and Charges

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales have received money from accident referral fees in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how much each such force received.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The Home Office does not maintain records of police operational practice. Police forces should not make referrals of the sort suggested. Both the police and their contractors are bound by data protection legislation. When necessary the police do make arrangements for the removal of vehicles, including those involved in road traffic collisions. They contract with vehicle recovery operators for this work. The charges the police can impose on vehicle owners for such removals are set by secondary legislation and aim to meet the costs incurred. The exercise of their removal powers and the arrangements made in every case are operational matters for the police forces concerned.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence her Department has collated of improved public behaviour among late night drinkers in towns and cities since 2010.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has not collated evidence specifically on improved public behaviour among late night drinkers in towns and cities since 2010.
	The Home Office routinely asks about public perceptions of drunk and rowdy behaviour and whether victims of violent crime believed the offender to be under the influence of alcohol, through the British Crime Survey.
	Findings from the 2010-11 British Crime Survey showed that 23.7% of adults perceived problems with drunk or rowdy behaviour in their local area. This proportion was similar to the level in the 2009-10 survey (23.9%), with the apparent decrease not being statistically significant. The results were published in Crime in England and Wales 2010-11 in July 2011 and are available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1011/hosb1011?view=Binary
	According to the 2009-10 British Crime Survey, victims believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in 50% (equating to 986,000) of all violent incidents. These levels were similar to the ones in the 2008-09 survey where victims believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in 47% (equating to 973,000) of all violent incidents. These results were published in Crime in England and Wales 2009-10 in July 2010 and are available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1210/hosb1210?view=Binary
	Corresponding figures for 2010-11 will be published in October 2011 as part of the ‘Nature of Crime’ tables to be released alongside the October Crime in England and Wales Quarterly Update bulletin.
	Copies of the full crime statistics reports have been placed in the House Libraries.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been (a) in total and (b) in each local authority area for offences of the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 since 2003.

James Brokenshire: Defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for the sale of alcohol to persons aged under 18, by police force area in England and Wales from 2003 to 2010 can be viewed in the table.
	Information available centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by local authority area.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for the sale of alcohol to persons aged under 18  (1)  , by police force area, England and Wales, 2003-10  (2,3) 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008  (4) 2009 2010 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 — 14 5 1 6 9 10 
			 Bedfordshire 2 7 10 24 2 — 1 4 
			 Cambridgeshire — 4 9 27 10 8 — — 
			 Cheshire 16 20 8 6 6 9 4 6 
			 City of London — — — — — — — 1 
			 Cleveland 4 10 14 11 13 10 6 3 
			 Cumbria 1 1 8 1 1 4 — 1 
			 Derbyshire 37 22 13 8 7 17 20 — 
			 Devon and Cornwall — 12 8 6 5 1 — 1 
			 Dorset 9 10 35 7 2 3 5 1 
			 Durham — 2 2 — 3 7 1 19 
			 Essex 7 2 8 16 14 4 5 1 
			 Gloucestershire — 1 5 10 3 10 1 — 
			 Greater Manchester 129 180 117 160 35 39 30 32 
			 Hampshire — 9 11 2 4 9 8 5 
			 Hertfordshire 1 8 3 40 24 2 3 3 
			 Humberside — 11 2 6 5 1 1 1 
			 Kent 12 15 14 2 2 6 2 2 
			 Lancashire 23 22 89 32 27 33 41 10 
			 Leicestershire 15 10 27 45 55 9 8 8 
			 Lincolnshire 17 4 11 10 3 6 3 7 
			 Merseyside 42 19 16 34 28 24 19 5 
			 Metropolitan Police 113 167 253 236 176 76 86 55 
			 Norfolk 1 9 3 — 2 1 2 1 
			 North Yorkshire 7 22 3 68 29 1 1 — 
			 Northamptonshire — — 11 13 7 5 7 14 
			 Northumbria 38 51 79 41 12 13 7 5 
			 Nottinghamshire 9 — 11 37 5 7 6 4 
			 South Yorkshire — 5 18 10 9 4 8 11 
			 Staffordshire 8 5 20 23 26 19 22 6 
			 Suffolk — 1 3 4 — 1 3 5 
			 Surrey 4 10 13 18 5 8 1 3 
			 Sussex 8 4 4 33 11 7 9 1 
			 Thames Valley 6 23 15 36 20 2 8 9 
			 Warwickshire 27 26 7 2 1 1 2 1 
			 West Mercia 7 5 19 10 5 3 4 5 
			 West Midlands 20 45 76 74 57 44 35 20 
			 West Yorkshire 2 21 15 17 9 9 7 6 
			 Wiltshire 6 10 23 10 6 1 — 2 
			 Dyfed-Powys 5 24 6 18 13 4 1 2 
			 Gwent 2 20 16 21 13 9 13 19 
			 North Wales 7 5 10 4 8 11 3 10 
			 South Wales 29 34 55 72 29 23 38 24 
		
	
	
		
			 England and Wales 616 861 1,084 1,199 693 459 430 324 
			 (1) Offences include: Sale of alcohol to person under 13; Persistently selling alcohol to children; Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises; Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18; Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in Scotland were designated as a (a) supplying establishment, (b) breeding establishment and (c) scientific procedure establishment under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as at the end of 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: As at 31 December 2010, there were 32 establishments in Scotland designated as scientific procedure establishments under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Of these, 13 were also designated as breeding establishments and 19 as supplying establishments.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were carried out in Scotland in 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: The number of regulated procedures started under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland in 2010 was 590,826.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2010; and how many such project licences were in force at the end of 2010 in respect of work to be carried out in Scotland.

Lynne Featherstone: In 2010, 515 project licences were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, of which 100 were held at designated establishments in Scotland. A total of 2,614 were in force at the end of 2010, of which 467 were in force in Scotland.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been performed in (a) public health laboratories, (b) universities and medical schools, (c) NHS hospitals, (d) Government Departments, (e) other public bodies, (f) non-profit-making organisations and (g) commercial organisations in 2011 to date.

Lynne Featherstone: During 2010, in Scotland the total number of procedures started under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 was 590,826. Of these, 469,481 or 79% were carried out at universities or medical schools, 33,325 or 6% at Government Departments, 46,556 or 8% at other public bodies, and 41,464 or 7% at commercial organisations. None were started at public health laboratories, NHS hospitals or non-profit making organisations.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were carried out for (a) fundamental and applied studies other than toxicity and (b) toxicity tests or other safety and efficacy evaluation in 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: During 2010, in Scotland, the number of regulated procedures started for non-toxicological purposes under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 was 543,050 (92%), and the number started for toxicological purposes was 47,776 (8%).

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were recorded in Scotland in 2010; and how many such infringements resulted in a prosecution.

Lynne Featherstone: Four infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were reported at designated establishments in Scotland during 2010. No prosecutions resulted.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 carried out in Scotland were conducted without anaesthesia in 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: There were a total of 590,826 regulated procedures started under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland in 2010 of which 414,528 (70%) used no form of anaesthesia.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that were in force in Scotland were in (a) mild, (b) moderate, (c) substantial and (d) unclassified severity bandings as at the end of 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: In Scotland, 37% of the project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that were in force at the end of 2010 were in a mild severity banding, 58% in moderate, 2% in substantial and 3% were in an unclassified severity banding.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) genetically-modified animals and (b) animals with a harmful genetic defect were used in regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: A total of 579,905 animals were used in regulated procedures started under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland in 2010, of which 212,811 were genetically modified and 12,752 were animals with a harmful genetic defect.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) mice, (b) rats, (c) guinea pigs, (d) hamsters, (e) rabbits, (f) horses and other equids, (g) sheep, (h) pigs, (i) birds, (j) amphibians, (k) reptiles, (l) fish, (m) cats, (n) dogs, (o) new world primates and (p) old world primates were used in regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: During 2010, in Scotland, there were 323,740 mice, 36,890 rats, 1,091 guinea pigs, 755 hamsters, 1,683 rabbits, 27 horses and other equids, 4,706 sheep, 447 pigs, 12,750 birds, 817 amphibians, 193,543 fish, four cats, 442 dogs, 40 new world primates and 370 old world primates used in regulated procedures started under the 1986 Act. No reptiles were used.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual animals were used in regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland in 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: During 2010, in Scotland, there were 579,905 animals used in regulated procedures started under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Asylum

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for removal from the Detained Fast Track procedure have been made since 2006; and what proportion were approved in each such year.

Damian Green: We are unable to provide accurate data relating to this question. It is open to detainees or their representatives to ask for release at any point during their detention. It is also open to detainees to apply to the courts for bail at any time in order that there is judicial oversight of the process. Many do so on multiple occasions and it is therefore not possible, to identify an accurate figure.

Asylum

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most frequent reasons for detainee removal from the Detained Fast Track programme was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Damian Green: In the financial year 2010-11 the Detained Fast Track processes dealt with a total intake of 2,694 asylum seekers. A total of 820 detainees were released from the processes that were not granted asylum or removed from the UK. The most common reasons for those releases were:
	1. pre decision appointments made by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture or the Helen Bamber Foundation resulting in release from detention: 150 detainees
	2. detainees released who had failed in their asylum applications and in respect of whom the only barrier to removal from the United Kingdom was the lack of a travel document (which was not forthcoming from their country of origin): 126 releases
	3. applicants granted bail by the courts: 81 detainees
	4. Cases reclassified by the courts and released from Detained Fast Track: 75 detainees.

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Damian Green: The Home Department did not subscribe to Sky TV in the period commencing May 2010 to date, and therefore no payments have been made.

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in her Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010.
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in her Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

Damian Green: holding answer 14 July 2011
	As has been the practice of previous Administrations, information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Cannabis

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests, (b) prosecutions and (c) convictions for (i) possession and (ii) supply of cannabis in St Helens South and Whiston constituency there have been in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: Information reported to the Home Office on arrests is not broken down below offence group level, therefore it is not possible to identify specific offences from the 'drug offences' offence group.
	The table, provided by the Ministry of Justice, shows the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for possession, supply and possession with intent to supply cannabis in Merseyside police force area, 2006 to 2010 (latest available).
	Court proceedings data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for possession, supply and possession with intent to supply cannabis, Merseyside, 2006-10  (1, 2, 3) 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Merseyside police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Possession cannabis 424 386 1,074 1,022 1,491 1,416 2,256 2,128 2,671 2,431 
			 Possession with intent to supply cannabis 49 52 71 51 92 71 99 76 148 103 
			 Supply cannabis 13 17 19 23 39 30 15 19 21 25 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Cannabis was re-classified to a class B drug on 26 January 2009. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings officials of her Department have had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Government's employment law review since May 2011.

Damian Green: holding answer 18 July 2011
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 203W.

Crime: Children

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken on (i) child victims of crime and (ii) child criminals since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has commissioned or undertaken the following research specifically concerning child victims of crime and child criminals since May 2010.
	(i)  C hild victims
	Since January 2009, the British Crime Survey (BCS) was extended to cover victimisation of children aged 10 to 15 years. Figures from the 2009-10 and 2010-11 surveys for this age group were published on 14 July 2011:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1011
	Earlier in 2011 the Home Office completed and published an assessment of phase 2 of the Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence Action programme, which ran from April 2009 to March 2010. The Programme aimed to reduce serious violence involving 13 to 24-year-olds, both as victims and offenders:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/horr53/
	A review of the literature on routes of human trafficking (including of children) into the UK is currently being completed, with a view to being published later in the year.
	(ii) Child criminals
	In autumn 2010 the Home Office commissioned an evaluation of schemes based in police stations that assess young people who have been arrested and can, where appropriate, divert them into other interventions and services. Additionally, the Home Office is carrying out analysis to produce estimates of how much recorded crime is attributable to young people (aged 10 to 17). Both studies will be completed later this year.

Crime: Older people

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce fear of crime amongst the elderly population.

James Brokenshire: The proportions of adults worried about burglary, car crime and violent crime in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are at their lowest since questions on this were introduced into the British Crime Survey. Police forces, working with local partners, are responsible for tackling crime—including concerns of the local elderly population. The Government are freeing up the police from bureaucracy and red tape to do so. We have given the public the information they need about local crime through crime maps, and are introducing a national non-emergency police number (101) to enable the public to contact the police more easily. These developments, together with neighbourhood policing teams, beat meetings and, in due course, elected police and crime commissioners, will ensure all sections of the community (including the elderly) can hold their force to account.

Crime: Older people

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure that partnerships, groups and schemes, that are working to tackle crime and fear of crime for elderly residents in local communities are communicated effectively.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office works in partnership with the voluntary sector to tackle crime and fear of crime. One aspect of this approach is the Home Office's work with the voluntary sector to communicate effectively the schemes that are available to tackle crime and fear of crime for elderly residents in local communities.
	The Home Office funded Age UK, working in partnership with the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network, Victim Support, and the home improvement agency sector, to run a project to reduce the fear of crime through the delivery of a training programme, earlier this year, to empower vulnerable elderly people to take the steps they need to keep themselves safe in their home and community. Age UK estimate that their message was communicated to more than 7,500 vulnerable people, and that over 5,500 of them took actions to improve their home or personal security. It is estimated that a further 6,000 people will be reached through the work of Victim Support.

Cybercrime

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of the prevent strategy to reducing the level of cyber-terrorism.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 18 July 2011
	The Prevent strategy is concerned with the threat posed by terrorists to radicalise and recruit people to their cause, including their use of the internet for these purposes and forms one part of the Government's overarching counter-terrorism strategy—Contest.
	The Prevent strategy aims to mitigate the threat of terrorist use of the internet by restricting access to unlawful online content in specific premises, such as schools, public libraries and other public buildings; and ensuring that action is taken to try to remove unlawful content from the internet. The legal framework for this is provided by sections 1 and 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (TACT).
	The Prevent strategy also calls on the public to assist in reducing the level of terrorist content on the internet. Members of the public who encounter terrorist or extremist content online are able to anonymously refer it to the Metropolitan police's Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). If the content breaches TACT, the CTIRU act to remove the content and where possible they mount prosecutions.

Demonstrations: Parliament Square

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she is (a) taking and (b) plans to take to assist in the removal of tents in Parliament Square; what recent representations she has received on this issue; from whom; what response was given; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many complaints have been received by her Department about the encampment in Parliament Square in each of the last 12 months; from whom; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will require a report from the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis about the encampment in Parliament Square; how many persons have been (a) arrested and (b) prosecuted for any offences connected with the encampment in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Government have brought forward measures in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill to assist in the removal of tents on Parliament Square. The Government have liaised with a number of agencies including the Westminster City Council, the Greater London Authority and the Metropolitan Police Service on the issue of Parliament Square and the measurements in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill.
	The Home Office has received regular correspondence from MPs, peers and the public expressing a range of views on Parliament Square. The Home Office does not collect data on persons arrested or prosecuted for any offences connected with the encampment on Parliament Square and there are no plans to commission a report from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Departmental Advertising

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on (a) television, (b) radio and (c) newspaper advertising in (i) real and (ii) nominal terms between May 2005 and May 2006; and what the total cost to the public purse was.

Damian Green: The following table outlines Home Office and its Executive agencies' spend on advertising in (a) television, (b) radio, (c) newspapers for the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	The question relates to advertising spend for the period May 2005 to May 2006 however costs are charged on a financial yearly basis and as a result cannot be split for the period May 2005 to May 2006 without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2005-06 2006-07 
			 TV 4,133,914 5,412,325 
			 Radio 1,824,869 3,045,302 
			 Newspapers 1,575,738 1,771,686 
			 Total 7,534,521 10,229,313

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions she has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

Damian Green: For greater transparency all information relating to ministerial travel is published on a quarterly basis including purpose and cost.
	I refer the hon. Member to:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/non-personal-data/hospitality-business-expenses/
	All travel undertaken by Home Office Ministers is compliant with s10 of the ‘Ministerial Code’ which stipulates that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.

Departmental Billing

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many late payments her Department has made to contractors between May 2005 and May 2006; and what the total cost to the public purse was of any (a) penalty charges or (b) interest charges incurred in that period.

Damian Green: For the period between May 2005 and May 2006 the Home Department, inclusive of its executive agencies, made 28,554 late payments but did not incur any payment penalties or interest charges for late payments to contractors.

Departmental Charitable Donations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to encourage charitable giving by Ministers in her Department.

Damian Green: Charitable giving is strongly encouraged within the Home Office and across Government as a whole. This is demonstrated by all Government Ministers making a pledge to undertake a ‘one day challenge’ with a charity or community group of their choice. This is a clear and public commitment by Ministers across Government to give their time to help others. This pledge aims to inspire others to consider how they might be able to support their communities to benefit themselves, as well as their chosen organisations. The Government's proposals to make it easier and more attractive to give time and money to good causes are outlined in the ‘Giving White Paper’ which was published in May 2011.
	Furthermore, the Home Office encourages staff to actively engage in charitable giving by providing the opportunity to take five days special leave per year to volunteer at an organisation of their choice.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many senior civil servants in her Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements her Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised her Department in each such year.

Damian Green: Information relating to the number of senior civil servants who have worked for the four companies in question in the last four years is not held centrally by the Home Department, inclusive of its Executive Agencies, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on each consultancy agreement the Home Department has with these firms for the last four years could be collated only at disproportionate cost. The total value of agreements with these firms in each of the last four years can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Financial year 
			 Supplier 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 147,843 274,818 983,561 2,526,561 
			 Ernst & Young 26,609,058 38,605,862 16,461,863 2,876,880 
			 Deloitte 7,021,961 22,852,700 22,267,626 10,526,636 
			 KPMG 8,174,750 18,238,547 16,612,225 5,975,926 
		
	
	The Home Department procures consultancy as a service rather than appointing individuals. We therefore do not capture the number of consultants who have advised the Department in the last four years.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed by her Department between May 2005 and May 2006; and what the cost to the public purse was in (i) cash and (ii) real terms of such appointments.

Damian Green: Information on special advisers has been published annually in written ministerial statements since 2003. These statements are published in July of each year. The statements document details of advisers in post at the given date but costs refer to the previous financial year and before 2009-10 were estimated costs.
	Details of special advisers between May 2005 and May 2006 were published on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 156WS, and costs were published on 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 91WS.
	The information in the following table provides the number and cost of press officers employed by the Home Office and its agencies for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 financial years.
	Figures are recorded by financial year and cannot be split to give costs between May 2005 and May 2006.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of press officers Cost of press officers (£) 
			 2005-06 34 1,616,410 
			 2006-07 35 1,699,087

Departmental Mobile Phones

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in her Department between May 2005 and May 2006; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) the purchase of such telecommunications equipment.

Damian Green: During the period May 2005 and May 2006, 4,181 mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in the Home Department. Details of (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) telecommunications equipment are listed in the following table:
	
		
			 Area Number of mobile telephones and BlackBerrys provided (a) Line rental (£) (b) Insurance (£) (c) Telecommunications equipment (£) 
			 HO HQ and UKBA 4,080 18,240 Nil 11,920 
			 IPS (1)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 CRB 101 4,188.44 Nil Nil 
			 (1) IPS has never provided staff with BlackBerrys. Active mobile phone account information records only go back one year and one month. The information required to respond to this question is only held in hard copy so we would reach the disproportionate cost threshold in order to provide information on mobile phones. (2) Information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to her Department was of the provision of Ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) Ministerial car journeys were paid for by her Department in each such year; what the average cost to her Department of a Ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps her Department has taken to reduce the cost of Ministerial cars since her appointment.

Damian Green: All information relating to the provision of ministerial car travel is published on an annual basis by the Department for Transport in a written ministerial statement, the details of which can be found in the Libraries of both Houses. In terms of reducing costs; Home Office Ministers no longer have an allocated driver and have to use the ‘Ministerial Car Pool’ which is compliant with Section 10 of the Ministerial Code. The exception being the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), who is driven by the Metropolitan Police for security purposes.

Departmental Official Cars

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to the public purse was of (a) cars leased by her Department to staff and (b) Ministerial chauffeurs between May 2005 and May 2006.

Damian Green: The Home Office accounting system is the principal record of Home Office financial data. This does not record details of vehicle leasing to the level required to answer this question.
	Although the Home Office accounting system does not disaggregate the cost of ministerial chauffeurs from other car hire costs, the full costs of Home Office ministerial cars to the public purse are published at:
	www.publications.parliament.uk

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many procurement contracts her Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010.

Damian Green: The Home Department, inclusive of executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), does not capture this information and therefore detail could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Spend with small and medium enterprises totals £231 million since May 2010.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of procurement contracts offered by her Department have been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since the website's inception.

Damian Green: The Contracts Finder website went live on September 2010. Since this time 18% of the Home Department’s procurement contracts have been published on this facility. The remaining contracts awarded fell outside the website's criteria.

Departmental Rail Travel

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was for (a) first class and (b) all train travel by (i) Ministers, (ii) staff and (iii) special advisers in her Department between May 2005 and May 2006.

Damian Green: The Home Office accounting system is the principal record of Home Office financial data. This does not record expenditure on train travel to the level of detail required to answer this question. A full answer to the question could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) she and (b) officials of her Department have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party.

Damian Green: There is no requirement for the Department to hold details of the number of meetings declined and there are no plans to do so.

Departmental Stationery

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to the public purse was of stationery purchased by her Department between May 2005 and May 2006.

Damian Green: The Home Department and its Executive Agencies spent £2.8 million on general administrative stationery between May 2005 and May 2006.

Departmental Training

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) awayday and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in her Department between May 2005 and May 2006.

Damian Green: Details of staff awaydays and team building activities are not held in a central location within the Home Office.
	The Home Office accounting system is the principal record of Home Office financial data. This does not record expenditure on staff awaydays to the level of detail required to answer this question. A full answer to the question could not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
	All expenditure on awaydays is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas visits were made by (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) special advisers in her Department between May 2005 and May 2006; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such visit.

Damian Green: The Home Office accounting system is the principal record of Home Office financial data. This does not record expenditure on overseas travel to the level of detail required to answer this question. A full answer to the question could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Deportation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals in the UK she is unable to deport on human rights grounds; and how many such people have committed offences while resident in the UK.

Damian Green: Information about the number of foreign nationals that the UK Border Agency is unable to remove from the UK on human rights grounds is not readily available on our electronic system and could be obtained only by reviewing individual cases. Many factors will be taken into account when consideration is given as to whether an individual should be allowed to remain in the UK, including the immigration rules, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Human Rights Act. These often 'overlap' and are not mutually exclusive. An individual may be granted permission to stay for reasons relating to more than one of these provisions.
	Reflecting and recording all possible and multiple reasons in a static field is therefore very challenging. This would incur a disproportionate cost. Without this information we are unable to provide information on how many of the individuals have committed criminal offences while in the UK.

Deportation: EU Nationals

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of each EU member state the UK Border Agency has removed in each of the last four years.

Damian Green: The following table shows the total number of removals and voluntary departures from the UK of European Union nationals from 2007 to 2010.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Science, Research and Statistics web pages at:
	http://homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/
	
		
			 Removals and voluntary departures  (1, 2, 3 )  from the UK for nationals of the European Union, 2007-10 
			 Number of departures  (4) 
			  2007 2008 2009  (5) 2010  (5) 
			 Austria 10 5 5 5 
			 Belgium 40 40 30 20 
			 Bulgaria 25 20 35 50 
			 Cyprus 10 5 (6)— 5 
			 Czech Republic 15 40 45 40 
			 Denmark 5 5 10 5 
			 Estonia 5 5 5 10 
			 Finland (7)— 5 5 (6)— 
			 France 110 100 90 110 
			 Germany 85 90 80 55 
			 Greece 10 10 5 10 
			 Hungary 10 15 20 30 
			 Ireland 35 10 10 10 
			 Italy 70 55 40 35 
			 Latvia 35 20 40 55 
			 Lithuania 80 100 125 180 
			 Luxembourg (7)— (6)— (7)— (7)— 
			 Malta (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— 
			 Netherlands 165 130 100 100 
			 Poland 80 135 180 270 
			 Portugal 65 70 95 85 
			 Romania 200 185 245 315 
			 Slovakia 25 25 25 40 
			 Slovenia 5 (6)— 5 5 
			 Spain 30 20 20 25 
			 Sweden 15 20 20 25 
			 Total EU nationals 1,135 1,120 1,225 1,480 
			 (1 )Figures rounded to the nearest 5. (2) Includes enforced removals, persons departing voluntarily after notifying the UK Border Agency of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (3) Figures include dependants. (4) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken. (5) Provisional figures. Figures will under record due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after the extracts are taken. (6) = 1 or 2. (7) = 0.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have specialist forensic provision for the investigation of computer hard drives.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not hold this information and there has not been a national survey to establish this at this time. The National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) are working with five police forces in the East Midlands to look at good practice in this area, all of these five forces have a specialist unit of this nature.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on how many private sector forensic science providers are able to provide services using DART-MS instrumentation.

Lynne Featherstone: The use of Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) is not stipulated in any of the work packages of the National Forensic Framework Agreement and as such this information is not held.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which forensic science laboratories have ISO 17025 accreditation.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not collect or maintain information on the accreditation held by all forensic science laboratories. Information on which laboratories have ISO 17025 accreditation is available from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) website at:
	www.ukas.com/about-accreditation/accredited-bodies/Testing-laboratories-schedules.asp
	Therefore, the Secretary of State for the Home Department does not intend to publish this information.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces had forensic science laboratories (a) with and (b) without ISO 17025 accreditation on the latest date for which figures are available.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not collect or maintain detailed records, as all forces have some laboratory functions.
	The Forensic Science Regulator has informed the Department that as of 25 July 2011, five Home Office police forces have gained ISO 17025 accreditation for specific activities for some of their laboratories. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with the Forensic Science Regulator to roll out a project for Home Office police fingerprint enhancement laboratories to achieve ISO 17025 accreditation by November 2015, which is in line with the EU Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forensic science laboratories have ISO 17025 accreditation for (a) specialist methods for investigating sexual offences, (b) forensic toxicology, (c) forensic fire investigation, (d) crime scene investigation and (e) forensic analysis of gunshot residue.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not collect or maintain information on the range of accreditation held by forensic science laboratories accredited to ISO 17025. Forensic science laboratories scope of accreditation is available from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) website at:
	www.ukas.com/about-accreditation/accredited-bodies/Testing-laboratories-schedules.asp

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for ISO 17025 accreditation she has received from forensic science laboratories in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) 2011 to date; and how many such applications were successful.

Lynne Featherstone: Neither the Secretary of State, nor the Home Office receives applications for accreditation to ISO 17025.
	The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the national accreditation body and is responsible for receiving applications and awarding accreditation to ISO 17025.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forensic laboratories have ISO 17025 accreditation.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not collect or maintain information on the number of forensic science laboratories that have ISO 17025 accreditation. Information on forensic science laboratories accredited to ISO 17025 is available from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) website at:
	www.ukas.com/about-accreditation/accredited-bodies/Testing-laboratories-schedules.asp

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of maintaining the Forensic Science Service's archive following the closure of that body.

Lynne Featherstone: The Forensics Transition Board has set up an Archiving Project Board with members from Home Office, Forensic Science Service (FSS), the Association of Chief Police Officers ( ACPO) and key partners across the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to recommend options for the handling and retention of FSS records so that historical data remains available to the CJS. As part of this process we will also seek to ensure the necessary expertise exists to mine that data. The Board is considering a number of options for the future of the archives and will ensure that the chosen solution provides best value for money for the taxpayer.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future of the Forensic Science Service archive; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: We recognise the importance of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) archives, both in academic terms and in the investigation of the re-opened cases (or “cold cases” as they are sometimes called). We also recognise the need for the FSS archive material to be made available to the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in a joined-up way. The Forensics Transition Board has set up an Archiving Project Board with members from Home Office, FSS, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and key partners across the CJS to recommend options for the handling and retention of FSS records so that historical data remains available to the CJS. As part of this process we will also seek to ensure the necessary expertise exists to mine that data.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) powers and (b) funding will be transferred to the Forensic Science Service Regulator following the closure of the Forensic Science Service.

Lynne Featherstone: The Forensic Science Regulator has received support and cooperation for his quality standards from the laboratories, professional bodies, prosecuting authorities, the judiciary and the Association of Chief Police Officers, and to date has not been hindered in dealing with any complaints about quality standards. This position will be kept under review and the creation of powers will be considered if that is appropriate. At present there are no plans to transfer any additional funding to the Forensic Science Regulator.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on how many private forensic service providers had ISO 17025 accreditation for IT forensic techniques on the latest date for which figures are available.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not collect or maintain information on private forensic science providers that have ISO 17025 accreditation in this area. Information on organisations with this scope of accreditation is available from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) website at:
	www.ukas.org

General Register Office: Fees and Charges

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the appropriateness of the General Register Office's charges for accessing birth, marriage and death certificates on-line.

Damian Green: The Public Expenditure and Receipts Act 1968 requires the General Register Office for England and Wales to provide certified copies of certificates on a self-financing basis. A review of certificate fees is carried out on a regular basis to comply with the 1968 Act and the last review was conducted in 2010. The outcome of the review led to a revised fee structure being introduced on 6 April 2010.
	The revised fee structure was calculated through use of a full cost recovery model agreed with HM Treasury and in line with the principles and guidance to ensure full recovery of costs. Certificate fees were set to a standard fee of £9.25 and a priority fee of £23.40. This provides a much simpler approach for customers and a more efficient charging process.

Government Procurement Card

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Government Procurement Cards were used by staff of her Department between May 2005 and May 2006; and what the (a) name of the supplier, (b) date and (c) value was of each transaction during this period.

Damian Green: Details of Government Procurement Cards used by staff of the Home Department between May 2005 and May 2006; inclusive of (a) name of the supplier, (b) date and (c) value was of each transaction during this period can be obtained only at disproportionate cost due to manually redacting sensitive information.
	We are currently working to provide a consistent method of reporting Government Procurement Card spend data for transactions over £500 in value dating from 1 April 2011. We expect this information to be available on our departmental website later this year.

Hillsborough Independent Panel: Expenditure

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Hillsborough Independent Panel spent in each category of expenditure as at the end of financial year 2010-11; and what its budget for 2011-12 is in each category of expenditure.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Hillsborough Independent Panel costs 2010-11 
			 Categories of expenditure Expenditure (£) 
			 Home Office staff pay 554,374 
			 Travel, subsistence, office costs, training 75,451 
			 Research costs 40,000 
			 Panel fees, travel and subsistence 50,215 
			 IT and programme management 960,295 
			 Funding for document disclosure review by donating organisations 389,015 
			 Total 2,069,350 
		
	
	The categories of expenditure for the panel's budget for 2011-12 are currently under review as the panel finalises its delivery plans for the year.

Hospitals: Disclosure of Information

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the adequacy of the police investigation into the activities commissioned by The Sunday Times of the freelance journalist Mr Brian Deer in relation to the acquisition of children's medical records and information from (a) the Royal Free Hospital and (b) other sources between 2003 and 2005.

Nick Herbert: Criminal investigations are operational matters for individual police forces.

Hotels

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of (a) four star, (b) five star and (c) other hotel accommodation for (i) staff, (ii) Ministers and (iii) special advisers in her Department between May 2005 and May 2006.

Damian Green: The Home Office accounting system is the principal record of Home Office financial data. This does not record expenditure on hotels to the level of detail required to answer this question. A full answer to the question could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Illegal Immigrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants are required to report to immigration reporting centres.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency uses 15 reporting centres located across the UK and police stations to maintain contact with individuals who may have either breached immigration law or are awaiting a decision on their asylum application.
	As of 13 July 2011, the number of individuals required to report to immigration reporting centres and designated police stations was 56,197(1). This data relates to those required to report between 1 April to 30 June 2011.
	Frequency of reporting will vary from individual to individual, and is set on a case specific basis.
	(1) All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Immigration Controls: London Airports

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many days the UK Border Agency did not meet the required passport control queue time of 45 minutes or less at (a) each Heathrow airport terminal, (b) Gatwick airport and (c) Stansted airport in the last six months for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's target is to clear 95% of non EEA passengers within 45 minutes. The measurement of this target is based on a sampling methodology. Queues are sampled on a daily basis at different times of the day. The figures below show that in over 95% of the samples the UK Border Agency met its target.
	
		
			 Non-EEA passenger queue waiting times: Total number of instances where 45 minute queuing target was exceeded, 1 January 2011 to 30 June 2011 
			 Port Total number of queues exceeding 45 minute target Total number of measures 
			 Gatwick North 18 4,344 
			 Gatwick South 72 4,248 
			 Heathrow TN1 43 3,439 
			 Heathrow TN3 255 3,404 
			 Heathrow TN4 434 3,204 
			 Heathrow TN5 162 3,214 
			 Stansted 66 637 
			 Total 1,050 22,490

Immigration: Detainees

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of transferring detainees between immigration removal centres and other immigration detention facilities in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the most frequent reason for the transfer of detainees between immigration removal centres and other immigration detention facilities was in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many detainees have been transferred between immigration removal centres and other immigration detention facilities in each year since 2006.

Damian Green: The escorting contract provides the transfer of detainees both within the UK and overseas and the management of both residential and non-residential short-term holding facilities around the country. It was held by G4S Care and Justice Services Ltd until 30 April with the use of alternative suppliers to meet peaks in demand for the service. All Services transferred to Reliance at midnight on 30 April.
	Prior to 30 April, the UK Border Agency paid a fixed fee for most elements of the escorting contract. We do not therefore hold sufficiently detailed information which demonstrates the cost of transferring detainees between places of detention. Although the agency now pays for each individual journey undertaken, it would be at disproportionate cost to examine individual invoices to provide the information since the contract changed.
	Around 80,000 journeys were undertaken in the year ending 30 April. These include transferring detainees from police stations, prisons and other places of detention into immigration removal centres, taking them to ports and airports for removal, to hospitals for medical appointments, courts for appeal hearings and embassies for documentation interviews. It also includes the transfer of detainees between different immigration removal centres.
	The UK Border Agency keeps the number of transfers to a minimum, but inevitably detainees are sometimes moved for operational reasons. These include where their behaviour requires them to be held in a more secure environment, because they are required for an interview at a particular centre, or because they are being moved close to an airport for their removal from the UK.

John Hagee

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information she has (a) sought and (b) received on statements made by Pastor John Hagee; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Government do not routinely comment on individual exclusion cases.
	The Secretary of State has the power to exclude or deport individuals whose conduct she considers non-conducive to the public good.

Liberal Democrats: Conferences

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests her Department has received from South Yorkshire Police Authority for reimbursement of costs associated with the policing of the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Sheffield in March 2011; what response her Department gave; and what factors determined her response.

Nick Herbert: An application for a special grant was received from South Yorkshire police to cover the costs of policing the 2011 Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Sheffield. The application was considered by Home Office Ministers but was declined.
	General guidance to forces on special grant sets out broad criteria against which applications will be assessed. These include evidence that the additional expenditure would otherwise create a serious threat to the authority's financial stability and/or where the costs incurred exceed a minimum of 1% of the force annual budget. This, however, is only guidance for forces and does not fetter the power of Ministers to make or decline to make grants in these or other circumstances.

Mass Media

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to the public purse was of her Department's national media coverage evaluations in each month between May 2005 and May 2006.

Damian Green: In the 2005-06 and 2006-07 financial years the Home Office Communication Directorate spent the following amounts on media evaluations:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2005-06 247,177.71 
			 2006-07 264,554.78 
		
	
	Costs are charged on a financial yearly basis and as a result cannot be split to give costs between May 2005 and May 2006.

Members: Correspondence

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Immigration plans to respond to the communication from the right hon. Member for Leicester East of 9 April 2001 on case reference S102005.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency was unable to trace a copy of the correspondence. However a letter dated 9 April 2011 was obtained from your office and will be responded to as soon as possible.

Members: Correspondence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Bridgend of 18 April 2011, reference MM/JH/14/04/2011.

Damian Green: I wrote to the hon. Member on 21 July 2011

Members: Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters her Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Damian Green: In June 2011, Home Office headquarters received centrally 744 letters from hon. and right hon. Members and noble Lords to Ministers for the Home Department to answer. This includes 62 letters received by the Government Equalities Office. (The Department receives some correspondence that is for other Departments of State to answer, which it sends on). The UK Border Agency received 3,172 letters from hon. and right hon. Members and noble Lords to Ministers, the agency chief executive and officials in June 2011. To distinguish between letters from hon. and right hon. Members, and those from noble Lords would attract a disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 14 June 2011 regarding Mr D Thambo.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 26 July 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 13 June 2011 regarding Mr C I Kachitsa.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 26 July 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to answer the letter to the Minister for Immigration from the Rt. hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 13 June 2011 regarding Ms S Maphosa;
	(2)  when she plans to answer the letter from the Rt. hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 13 June 2011 regarding Mr K Ahmed.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 26 July 2011.

Metals: Theft

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to prohibit payments in cash for large supplies of scrap metal.

James Brokenshire: The Government are currently considering a range of options to deal with the growing and random problem of metal theft, including a cashless model for payments for scrap metal.

News International

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met (a) James Murdoch, (b) Rebekah Brooks and (c) Andy Coulson.

Damian Green: The Government are committed to publishing details of meetings with newspapers and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives. This information can be found at the following link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/non-personal-data/hospitality-business-expenses/

Newspaper Press: Telephone Tapping

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of the effects of media telephone hacking on (a) public figures and (b) victims of terrorism in Northern Ireland.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 18 July 2011
	My right hon. Friend has made no such assessment. Lord Justice Leveson's judicial inquiry will have broad terms of reference; it will be for him to consider whether such issues will be within the scope of the inquiry.

Newspaper Press: Telephone Tapping

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police officers were sentenced to custodial sentences in November 2005 for the sale of information to newspapers; and to which newspapers.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Newspaper Press: Telephone Tapping

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for offences involving the sale of information in respect of sales to (i) the News of the World, (ii) The Sun, (iii) freelance journalists and (iv) other media outlets since 2003.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not collected centrally.

North Yorkshire Police Authority: Finance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department allocated to North Yorkshire Police Authority in (a) 2005-06 and (b) each year since then; and how much it plans to allocate in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in (A) 2012-13 and (B) 2013-14 .

James Brokenshire: The following table shows the amount of core Government funding allocated to North Yorkshire Police Authority in 2005-06 and the subsequent years.
	
		
			 Financial year Allocated amount (£ million) 
			 2005-06 46.8 
			 2006-07 49.0 
			 2007-08 50.6 
			 2008-09 52.0 
			 2009-10 53.4 
			 2010-11 53.8 
			 2011-12 50.6 
			 2012-13 (1)47.3 
			  (2)46.1 
			 2013-14 (1)46.6 
			  (2)44.3 
			 (1) Cash (2) Real 
		
	
	Although the vast majority of funding to the police comes from the Home Office and from the Department for Communities and Local Government in England and the Welsh Government in Wales, they also receive funding from the police precept component of council tax precept. In addition, police forces generate a small amount of income for example from charging for service they offer such as the policing of football matches.

Offenders: Deportation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it cost (a) in total and (b) per capita to deport foreign national offender criminals in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not have readily available data on total and individual costs of deporting foreign national offenders for the period requested. There are many different factors involved in the cost of a case.
	The UK Border Agency intends to publish unit costs of deportations on a full cost basis in its 2011-12 departmental annual report next year.

Offenders: Deportation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals with convictions for (a) murder, (b) rape, (c) other sexual offences and (d) violent offences have not been removed on human rights grounds in the last year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The following table shows the number of foreign nationals convicted of (a)murder, (b) rape, (c) other sexual offences and (d) violent offences in the UK who were not removed on human rights grounds in 2010 (calendar year). Please note this data is internal management information.
	
		
			 Offence type Number 
			 Murder 2 
			 Rape 7 
			 Other sexual offences 13 
			 Violent offences 66

Offenders: EU Nationals

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals were convicted of a criminal offence following transfer to the UK from another EU member state in each year since 2000.

Damian Green: holding answer 18 July 2011
	The Government do not centrally collate information relating to the nationality of offenders in the UK and we are therefore unable to provide the full extent of the information requested. However, from 2006 the United Kingdom Central Authority for the Exchange of Criminal Records has taken on responsibility for notifying EU countries when a national of that member state is convicted of an offence in the UK. Information has therefore been collated from 2007 and the total number of notifications of EU nationals is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007 10,736 
			 2008 24,635 
			 2009 27,470 
			 2010 27,563 
			 2011(1) 19,164 
			 (1) As of 2 August 2011.

Official Hospitality

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on hospitality since 12 May 2010.

Damian Green: Expenditure (rounded to the nearest hundred pounds) for Home Office and the UK Border Agency, since May 2010, is as follows:
	Home Office (core Department) to end June 2011: £10,900
	UK Border Agency to end June 2011: £62,600.
	Home Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment conforms to departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which itself complies with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Hospitality is defined as the provision of food, drink and entertainment to non-civil servants where it is beneficial to the interests of the Department.
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) uses a different accounting system to that used by the core Home Office. As a result, IPS does not record hospitality in line with the definition above. IPS does not routinely arrange promotional events for non-civil servants so expenditure for the period will be low. To accurately identify relevant expenditure would incur disproportionate cost as it is not explicitly recorded as relating to non-civil servants.
	The Criminal Records Bureau allocates hospitality spend to an account code which encompasses other spend categories. To accurately identify relevant expenditure would incur disproportionate cost, as it is not separately recorded.

Organised Crime: Deportation

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were removed by the UK Border Agency following a request from the Serious Organised Crime Agency in each year since 2006.

Damian Green: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) routinely monitors any case where a judge recommends a deportation at end of sentence, or where an individual will automatically be considered for deportation by the UK Border Agency by virtue of their length of sentence.
	Additionally since 1 April 2006 SOCA has referred 14 names to the UK Border Agency to be considered for removal from the UK. In terms of these: five have been progressed for possible removal; four are pending action; three individuals were identified as having left the UK; and two were judged by the UK Border Agency as requiring no further action. To date no individuals have been removed as a result of the 14 recommendations by SOCA.

Police Custody

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to update her Department's 2006 guidance on Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody.

Nick Herbert: The 2006 Safer Detention Guidance was published on behalf of both the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers. Work is ongoing to produce a revised version of the guidance and we hope to publish it later this year.

Police Custody

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what minimum standards her Department sets for police custody cells; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The provision and maintenance of police custody accommodation is a matter for the chief constable and the police authority. Codes of practice in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act set out the requirements for the detention of suspects in police custody. Code C.8 requires cells to be adequately heated, cleaned, ventilated and lit; and that access to toilet and washing facilities must be provided. The Home Office Police Buildings Design Guide provides advice to forces on how custody suites might be constructed or adapted to comply with the legal requirements of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. Best practice advice on cell design detail is also issued via the joint ACPO/Home Office/NPIA ‘Guidance on the safer detention and handling of persons in police custody’ document.

Police Stations: Closures

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on police forces who are encouraging members of the public to staff police stations at risk of closure; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: This information is not collected centrally.
	Police volunteers have, for years, provided valuable support to police forces across the country, and help to link the police to their local communities. Irrespective of any other changes in a force's work force, we should celebrate the fact that people choose to support their local communities in this way.

Police: Complaints

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for York Central of 20 July 2011, in how many cases the Independent Police Complaints Authority has (a) had referred to it, (b) investigated and (c) upheld in full or in part a complaint made against the police since its establishment; and how many such cases resulted in (i) police disciplinary action, (ii) dismissal of a police officer or employee, (iii) criminal charges against a police officer or employee and (iv) conviction of a police officer or employee for (A) bribery or corruption and (B) other offences.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not held by the Home Office. Some of this information is held by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Police: Housing

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) central Government Departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies have provided accommodation for the use of police officers and staff in the last five years; how many properties were provided for such purposes; and at what cost to the public purse.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not collect data from across the Government and public sector on provision of accommodation for police officers and staff.

Police: Indemnity Insurance

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will take steps to ensure that police officers who respond to (a) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and (b) other hazardous incidents are afforded similar indemnity insurance cover to fire and rescue personnel who respond to similar incidents;
	(2)  if she will assess the merits of a national indemnity insurance scheme for police officers who respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents.

Nick Herbert: The health and safety of police officers and the provision of indemnity insurance are matters for individual chief officers. The Home Office has no plans to introduce a national indemnity insurance scheme for police officers who respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents.

Police: Mobile Homes

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to enable police to patrol park home sites situated on private property at any time, regardless of whether the owner has given permission.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 21 June 2011
	We have no plans to do so.

Police: Overtime

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of overtime were paid to police officers in each police authority in England in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally.

Police: Pensions

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the entitlement of police officers who have accrued pension rights to draw a tax-free lump sum.

Nick Herbert: There are two pension schemes that apply to police officers. The police pension scheme 1987 does not provide an automatic lump sum on retirement, but allows officers to exchange up to a quarter of their pension for a lump sum. The police pension scheme 2006 provides a lump sum of up to twice the officer's salary on retirement. Lord Hutton's report on public service pensions recommends that all pension rights accrued to date should be protected. The Government have committed to protecting accrued rights built up under present pension arrangements.
	Police pension lump sums are paid in accordance with the current tax regime.

Police: Recruitment

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to ensure that people are not prevented from becoming police officers as a consequence of being required to financially support themselves during the time it takes to become fully-qualified uniformed police officers; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 18 July 2011
	The requirements to train to become a police officer do not routinely require student officers to support themselves through training, as the majority of police forces still offer a mix of opportunities fully funded in house training, fully funded in higher education or through pre join arrangements funded by the student.
	Steps are being taken to encourage and provide opportunities for those wishing to become police officers to achieve part of the minimum qualification (the Diploma in Policing) prior to recruitment. Prospective students who have not been recruited as either a student police officer or as a special constable will, however, only be able to complete part of the minimum qualification as the full qualification requires the student officer to be assessed in the work place using police powers. Special constables who are volunteers have police powers and will be able to train and complete the full work based assessment.
	Steps are being taken to constrain the cost of pre join police training by:
	offering part time arrangements to enable continuing employment;
	use of vocational qualifications which are at a lower cost than higher education as the minimum requirement;
	the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), as the executive arm of the Central Authority for the Initial Policing Learning Programme, has provided the curriculum, learning resources, assessment guidance and e Learning, to police forces at no charge to the force or recruited candidates, and will offer these under license for a small cost to external providers so that the costs passed on to students should be as low as possible. The NPIA hopes to be able to continue to provide this service; and,
	police forces are looking at the affordability of bursaries, loans and recompense of costs to successful candidates.
	The NPIA, working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the 43 police forces in England and Wales, has developed an equality impact assessment (EIA) for the pre join training arrangements; forces will be required to complete an EIA for their local implementation. The purpose of the EIA is to help to keep under review the impact of the arrangements on any potentially disadvantaged groups and to address any impact.

Police: Training

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what training police officers in England and Wales receive in the use of the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour-based violence risk model;
	(2)  whether any police force uses an alternative risk assessment model in place of the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour-based violence risk model;
	(3)  whether she plans to review the operation of the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour-based violence risk model in areas where it has been appropriately implemented;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the effects of implementation of the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour-based violence risk model (DASH) on levels of victimisation in those areas where DASH has been fully implemented.

Lynne Featherstone: The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Council accredited the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model to be implemented across all police services in the UK from March 2009. Although we understand that the majority of forces currently use DASH, it is for individual forces to decide which risk assessment models to use and the training their officers and staff receive. However, ACPO continue to encourage forces to adopt DASH and HMIC inspections are carried out against DASH standards. Evidence from early adopter forces such as Sussex police suggests that the implementation of DASH has had a positive effect.

Police: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has met (a) Welsh Ministers and (b) the Secretary of State for Wales regarding the scrutiny of and support required by police commissioners in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), and the Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), discuss police reform issues when appropriate. I have had a number of discussions with Welsh Ministers and the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Local Government and Communities on the implications of Police and Crime Commissioners for his devolved responsibilities.

Raed Salah

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she considered informing the hosts of Sheikh Raed Salah in the UK of the order to (a) exclude and (b) deport him.

Damian Green: Exclusion and deportation decisions are confidential to the individual concerned, and operationally sensitive, and it is not normal practice to inform others in a way which may breach confidentiality.

Raed Salah

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions she had, and with whom, prior to the issue of the exclusion order against Sheikh Raed Salah;
	(2)  for what reason the exclusion order was issued against Sheikh Raed Salah;
	(3)  whether she took steps to ascertain the position of Sheikh Raed Salah in respect of anti-Semitic remarks attributed to him before issuing the exclusion order against him;
	(4)  whether she consulted (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) the Prime Minister's Office before the action to exclude Sheikh Raed Salah was taken;
	(5)  on what date the exclusion order against Sheikh Raed Salah was issued.

Damian Green: holding answer 11 July 2011
	The Government do not routinely comment on individual exclusion cases but in this instance the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has considered it important to do so. Mr Salah has himself put details of his case into the public domain.
	Raed Salah was excluded from the UK on 23 June as a result of numerous statements he had made, details of which were obtained from a variety of sources. Exclusion decisions are confidential to the individual concerned, and operationally sensitive, and it is not our practice to consult widely in making the decision or to inform others in a way which may breach that confidentiality. As is our normal practice in making these decisions, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were consulted as part of the evidence gathering process but the Prime Minister's Office were not. The exclusion was based on an assessment of whether Mr Salah had expressed views which fell within the scope of the Government's published unacceptable behaviours policy. The Secretary of State concluded that Mr Salah had made a number of statements that were considered to be unacceptable behaviour.

Rape: Genetics

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the findings of the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation into the response of the Metropolitan Police to a burglary linked to Operation Minstead.

James Brokenshire: The Independent Police Complaints Commission's (IPCC) investigation report into this case is available on the IPCC website. It found that Delroy Grant, a serial sex attacker, should have been arrested sooner. Following his conviction, the Metropolitan Police apologised for the missed opportunity that allowed him to continue to commit offences.
	Clearly there are lessons to be learned from this shocking case which are matters for the Metropolitan Police and its Police Authority.

Rural Areas

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether officials of her Department have had recent discussions with the Rural Communities Policy Unit in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Damian Green: Officials from the Home Office have discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, including the Rural Communities Policy Unit, as necessary to develop policy.
	Officials also undertake equality impact assessments in order to assess the impact of Home Office policies on particular groups, including rural communities.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual budget for the Serious Organised Crime Agency was in each year since its inception.

Theresa May: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The annual budget for the Serious Organised Crime Agency for each year was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2006-07 426,403,970 
			 2007-08 444,777,970 
			 2008-09 474,634,970 
			 2009-10 478,017,970 
			 2010-11 462,839,000 
			 2011-12 437,846,000

Stalking

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the police in England and Wales routinely conduct a risk assessment when they receive a complaint from a victim of stalking and harassment; and whether that assessment is disclosed to the victim.

Lynne Featherstone: The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Council accredited the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model to be implemented across all police services in the UK from March 2009 as part of the police response to domestic abuse. Although the use of the DASH model is discretionary, the Home Office has worked with ACPO to encourage all forces to use it. DASH risk assessments are carried out in the presence of and with the knowledge of victims and are used by the police to provide a response tailored to the individual based on the answers provided.

Stalking

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plans to bring forward proposals to create an offence of cyber stalking in England and Wales.

Lynne Featherstone: The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 already covers cyber-stalking. The Act was always intended to tackle stalking, but was drafted so that it could also include any form of persistent conduct which causes alarm or distress. A specific “cyber-stalking” offence or reference to cyber-stalking in the existing offence is therefore not necessary. Where an offender pursues a course of conduct which amounts to harassment, and the offender knows or ought to know their conduct amounts to harassment, it does not matter whether the course of conduct was committed online or offline. As long as the elements of the offence are met, the offence can be charged.

Surveillance

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to make available all the information gathered in the CIB3 bugging and surveillance operation codenamed Nigeria for use in the forthcoming public inquiry into media ethics.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The Home Office does not hold the information requested. It will be for Lord Justice Leveson to determine what information he wishes to consider as part of his independent inquiry.

Telephone Tapping

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the interception of voicemail by agencies for which she is responsible.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 14 July 2011
	Interception of communications, including voicemail, by a public authority can only take place with lawful authority. Interception has lawful authority if it takes place in accordance with a warrant issued by the Secretary of State. A warrant will only be issued if the Secretary of State believes the warrant is necessary in the interests of national security, for the purpose of detecting or preventing serious crime, or for the purpose of safeguarding the economic well-being of the United Kingdom, and the conduct authorised is proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by that conduct.

Telephone Tapping

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) voice, (b) email and (c) web interceptions were carried out by agencies for which she is responsible in each month of the year to June 2011.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 14 July 2011
	Under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 relevant security and law enforcement agencies may, in certain defined circumstances, intercept an individual's communications pursuant to an authorised warrant issued by a Secretary of State. The Home Secretary is responsible for issuing warrants on the application of the Security Service and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency. In addition to the specific safeguards that apply in respect of the Warranty regime in Chapter 1, RIPA also sets out two important further sources of safeguards: a tribunal to investigate specific complaints; and an Interception of Communications Commissioner to oversee the operation of the system of interception as a whole. The only publicly available information on the number of intercept warrants issued is contained in the Commissioner's annual report. A link to the most recent report is at:
	http://www.ipt-uk.com/docs/Interception_of_Communications_2406.pdf

Terrorism

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission research into the proportion of (a) members of the public and (b) civil servants who understand the terror threat level alert system.

James Brokenshire: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 529W. The findings from the Government's Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) research into the public's understanding of communications about a range of counter-terrorism policies and issues are currently being considered for publication.
	The Government will continue to keep their approach to communicating the threat of terrorism to the public and security practitioners under review to ensure that it is effective.

Terrorism: Holidays Abroad

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of organisations which have declared that they oppose violence in the UK, but which support the use of violence abroad; what recent representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: Organisations that promote or encourage terrorism, whether in the UK or abroad, can be proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. We keep the list of proscribed organisations under constant review. Where there are extremist organisations that do not meet the statutory test for proscription the Government have made clear that no funding or other forms of support will be provided.
	The Government will also address the challenge of such extremism, and particularly extremist organisations, through other means including the Government's new approach to promoting integration, which is led by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG); other parts of the criminal justice system (including through legislation regarding religious and racial hatred), debate and civil challenge.
	Policy and programmes to deal with extremism and extremist organisations will be coordinated from DCLG. However the line between extremism and terrorism is not always precise. The relationship between terrorism and extremism is therefore complicated and directly relevant to the aim and objectives of Prevent, the part of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy that aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent deals with extremism where terrorism draws on extremist ideas; and where people who are extremists are drawn towards terrorism-related activity.

Terrorism: Students

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of UK students who have been involved in terrorist attacks abroad in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold statistics on the number of UK students who may have been involved as perpetrators in terrorist attacks overseas.

Theft

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many areas other than Birmingham, Quinton ward (a) the number of burglaries increased by 39.5 per cent. or more and (b) the number of robberies increased by 50 per cent. or more between 2010 and 2011.

James Brokenshire: Police recorded crime data at ward level are not collected centrally. Local area data are collected at basic command unit (BCU), community safety partnership (CSP) and local authority (LA) level.

UK Border Agency: Data Protection

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what guidance her Department has issued to UK Border Agency offices on the application of data protection requirements to disclosure to hon. Members acting on behalf of constituents who are being held in detention; how many versions of such guidelines have been issued in each of the last five years; on what dates; and on what date the most recent guidance was issued;
	(2)  what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of each change to data protection guidance for UK Border Agency offices relating to the disclosure of data to hon. Members acting on behalf of constituents who are being held in detention.

Damian Green: The Data Protection Act regulates the processing of personal data. Personal data means data that relate to a living individual regardless of their nationality, immigration status or where they are located in the world. The Agency's guidance is applicable to both in-country applications, overseas applications and to those who are in detention.
	The current guidance was put in place in 2003 and has been updated as and when necessary since then, according to inquiries from colleagues across the Agency which have necessitated clarification. Amendments were also made as a result of the Freedom of Information Act in 2005 making reference to that Act and its provisions.
	The Information Management Team recently produced an Information Fact Sheet for Members of Parliament acting on behalf of their constituents in response to feedback from Members of Parliament. The fact sheet sent to all Members on 14 July 2011 was produced to clarify our current guidance. The fact sheet sets out how we will approach requests for information from MPs in a number of common scenarios.
	The Agency's guidance is publicly accessible via the UK Border Agency website—it is contained within Chapter 24 'Disclosure of Information' via the 'Policy & Law pages ('Immigration Directorate Instructions'). This guidance is currently being re-written to give Agency staff a clearer steer on data protection and disclosing information and also highlight the particular role and work of Members of Parliament when representing constituents.
	We do not hold records for the number of versions there have been since 2003, although there have not been major alterations to it since its inception.
	There has been no additional cost to the public purse, over and above the day-to-day operational costs of the UK Border Agency's Information Management Team who oversee Data Protection Policy guidance. The team updates guidance as part of their role and responds to inquiries on data protection policy from colleagues across the Agency on a day-to- day basis (including the Agency's MPs' Liaison Unit).

Vetting: Police

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will request the Association of Chief Police Officers to amend its National Vetting Policy for the Police Community to prohibit any person with a criminal record from being recruited into police forces in England and Wales.

Nick Herbert: The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) provides vetting guidance to forces on recruitment into the police service. This sits alongside guidance issued by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in the form of NPIA Circular 02/2011—Eligibility Criteria for the role of police constable. These already outline a number of criminal convictions that will preclude an applicant from being recruited into to the police service. For other convictions forces may wish to decide locally if there are exceptional circumstances.
	Responsibility and decisions with regard to vetting lie with the individual force and are made on an individual basis.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2011, Official Report, column 806W, on Violent and Sex Offender Register, if she will review the legislation which prevents the public disclosure of sex offenders and their last known whereabouts where they have not fulfilled their obligations to register their address details and where their current whereabouts are unknown.

Lynne Featherstone: The Data Protection Act 1998 governs the handling of personal information. Public disclosure of details relating to sex offenders who are missing is considered by the police on a case by case basis and only made in accordance with obligations under this Act. There are currently no plans to review this legislation.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of persons on the Sex Offender Register have committed further offences in each of the last 10 years; and if she will provide a breakdown of the offences committed.

Lynne Featherstone: Data on the number of serious further offences alleged to have been committed by registered sex offenders were first included within the published Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual report for 2009-10.
	This report may be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/mappa.htm
	and in the Library of the House. The Statistics Bulletin for this report is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/mappa-stats-release.pdf
	The MAPPA annual report for 2010-11 will be published on 27 October 2011.

CABINET OFFICE

Mortality Rates: Strokes

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the mortality rates for stroke at (a) Darlington Memorial Hospital, (b) University Hospital North Durham and (c) James Cook University Hospital were in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the mortality rates were for stroke at (a) Darlington Memorial Hospital, (b) University Hospital North Durham and (c) James Cook University Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available. (67979)
	The table provides the number of deaths, where stroke was the underlying cause of death, in (a) Darlington Memorial Hospital, (b) University Hospital North Durham and (c) James Cook University Hospital in 2010 (the latest year available).
	It is not possible for ONS to calculate mortality rates for patients within" individual hospitals. Although the name and address of the hospital where the death occurred is recorded at registration there are no readily available data for the denominator populations.
	Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios (HSMRs) are published annually by Dr Foster Health and are available at:
	www.drfosterhealth.co.uk
	In November 2010 the Department of Health published a national review of HSMRs which recommended the adoption of a new methodology for a national mortality ratio for use across the NHS, to be known as the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator(1). The first results based on the new methodology are due to be published towards the end of 2011.
	Figures for the number of deaths by place of occurrence, based on proportions of the total number of deaths registered in England and Wales (rather than the number of patients or residents within a specific establishment), are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/search/index.html?newquery= number+of+deaths+registered+each+year+by+sex%2C+age% 2C+cause+and+place+of+death
	Place of occurrence categories include for example hospitals, hospices and at home. Figures for individual hospital sites are not routinely produced.
	(1 )‘National review of the hospital standardised mortality ratio’ (2010) The Department of Health. This report is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_121354
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of deaths where stroke was the underlying cause of death, by specified hospital, 2010  (1,2,3) 
			 Persons 
			 Hospital 2010 
			 Darlington Memorial Hospital 87 
			 University Hospital of North Durham 140 
			 James Cook University Hospital 152 
			 (1) Cause of death for stroke was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I60-I69 (cerebrovascular disease). (2) Figures are for deaths registered in 2010. (3) Figures for communal establishments are provisional until November 2011.

British Waterways: Bills

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many meetings he has had with British Waterways on the Public Bodies Bill in the last 12 months; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes from any such meetings.

Francis Maude: I have not held any meetings with British Waterways in relation to the Public Bodies Bill in the last 12 months.

Business

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small and medium-sized business product surgeries have taken place in (a) North Yorkshire, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) England since their inception.

Francis Maude: To date one SME product surgery has been held in Birmingham and one London. At least six further product surgeries are being planned with Departments for later in the year, with venues yet to be confirmed.

Business

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new business start-ups there were in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley in 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Penneck, dated August 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many new business start-ups there were in a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and b) the London Borough of Bexley in 2010.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at www.statistics.gov.uk. However, statistics for 2010 will not be available until December 2011. Below are the latest figures available which give enterprise births in the London Borough of Bexley as well as Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency for 2009.
	
		
			  Enterprise births 2009 
			 Bexley 720 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 235

Central Office of Information

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the report which recommended the closure of the Central Office of Information.

Francis Maude: The recommendation to replace the COI was made by the former Permanent Secretary for Government Communication, Matt Tee, in his review of Government direct communications and the role of the COI. The report was published in March 2011. The Government response to the review was published in the form of a written ministerial statement on 23 June 2011.

Central Office of Information

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office who undertook the recent review of the Central Office of Information on his behalf.

Francis Maude: The Review of Government direct communication and the role of COI, published in March 2011, was undertaken by Matt Tee, the then Permanent Secretary for Government Communication. The Government response to this review was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team in the Cabinet Office, and was overseen by Sir Gus O’Donnell and COI accounting officer Ian Watmore.

Central Office of Information

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what consultation he undertook with (a) Prospect and (b) other trade unions representing employees of the Central Office of Information before his statement on its proposed abolition.

Francis Maude: Informal discussions took place to advise the unions of the expected content of the recommendations of the Government’s response to the Matt Tee Review, and following the announcement the Cabinet Office have now begun formal consultation with the unions.

Chief Coroner

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 14 October 2010, Official Report, columns 26-28WS, what the outcome was of the application of the three tests for public bodies to the office of the Chief Coroner.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	In applying the three tests, the Government decided that most of the functions vested in the office of Chief Coroner are necessary. Consideration was also given as to whether establishing this new office would be the most efficient way to deliver these functions. The Government's view is that reform of the coronial system can be delivered by transferring responsibilities to either the Lord Chief Justice or Lord Chancellor, without the additional expense of a Chief Coroner. The details of this are set out in the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice’s written ministerial statement of 14 June 2011, Official Report, columns 64-66WS.

Civil Servants

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time equivalent civil servants were employed in City of York in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent month for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many full time equivalent civil servants were employed in City of York in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent month for which figures are available. (69845)
	There were approximately 2,960 permanent civil servants, on a full-time equivalent basis, employed in the City of York on 31 March 2010.
	An estimate of Civil Service employment for the City of York is only published on an annual basis. Data for 2011, with reference to 31 March 2011, will be available from November, when Civil Service Statistics 2011 will be published.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many meetings officials of his Department have had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Government's employment law review since May 2011.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office does not have responsibility for employment-related legislation. However, in common with partners across Government, my Department has been consulted throughout on the proposals for the employment law review.

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many requests for the creation of new websites his Department's Efficiency Board has received since May 2010; what proportion of such requests were granted authorisation; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The coalition Government have kept a very tight rein on the creation of unnecessary central Government websites. In line with the Public Accounts Committee recommendations of 2008, new sites are not approved except when necessary and with explicit permission. Since May 2010, only three new domains have been approved: a single machinery of government change (education.gov.uk), a change of name (for The Children’s Commissioner) and a temporary development site (alpha.gov.uk). The ERG marketing controls, which receive requests on behalf of the Efficiency Board, does not analyse requests for web activity separately and cannot provide the number of requests without incurring disproportionate cost. Good progress is also being made on reducing the number of central Government websites and a list is published quarterly on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Lost Property

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office had a total of £9,951.20 worth of equipment stolen or misplaced in the last 12 months. Every incident of lost or stolen property is taken seriously and is investigated.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department have been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since the website's inception.

Francis Maude: Since 1 April 2011, 10 of 10 contracts (100%) of the Cabinet Office's contract opportunities above £10,000 that are subject to open competition have been submitted for publication on Contracts Finder.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010.

Francis Maude: The Department does not hold the information in the form requested.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has no plans to collate such data.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010.

Francis Maude: I am not aware of any such requests being refused.

Electronic Government: Finance

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the budget is for the Government Digital Service in 2011-12.

Francis Maude: The budget for the Government digital service for the financial year 2011-12 is £22.3 million.

Government Departments: Communication

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what basis he determined his policy on the recommendations of the Review of Direct Communications and Government on the establishment of an enhanced Government communications centre.

Francis Maude: The recommendations were based on a range of evidence and analysis, and detailed policy development work. This included evidence and material from the Matt Tee Review of Government direct communications and the role of COI, as well as new internal and external data. The review had extensive engagement with and input from a range of experts including communications practitioners, the COI, directors of communications and heads of marketing. The Government response was overseen by Sir Gus O'Donnell and the COI accounting officer Ian Watmore.

Government Departments: Communication

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date he determined his policy on the recommendations of the Review of Direct Communications and Government.

Francis Maude: The Review of Government direct communication and the role of COI was presented and discussed at the PEX(ER) Cabinet Sub-Committee on 31 March 2011. The Government response to this review was presented and discussed at the PEX(ER) Cabinet Sub-Committee on 22 June 2011, on which date the recommendations were fully endorsed.

Government Departments: Internet

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the benefits of the open sourcing of Government guidance and advice websites.

Francis Maude: The UK has huge knowledge capital in the creative and digital industries and we are working hard to enable them to flourish through allowing them to reuse public sector data and make a profit from their endeavours. The Government are committed to releasing data in reusable forms through their transparency agenda, with the intention of encouraging third parties to develop new services and markets. Where it is useful and appropriate to do so, we intend to link to their work.
	Following the independent strategic review of Directgov, undertaken by Martha Lane Fox, the Government are taking this further in seeking that public services and information are able to be reused under appropriate free licensing and partnering arrangements through the use of APIs (Application Programming Interface). We have already developed standards in public for some parts and we intend to work with expertise wherever it lies to deliver effective digital services.

Government Departments: Internet

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to make Government websites accessible on handheld devices.

Francis Maude: To ensure that Government information and services are accessible on handheld devices, a mobile friendly version of Directgov,
	http://m.direct.gov.uk
	has been developed. The site launched in December 2005 and has gone through a number of iterations, supported by extensive user testing, in line with changes in the market, technological advances in mobile devices and the evolving needs of the mobile user.
	A mobile content management system has been procured for use by Government Departments and agencies who sit outside the Directgov site. It is currently being used by NHS Choices to ensure their content is available on handheld devices and by The Charity Commission to develop a mobile version of their corporate website. Other departments and agencies are in the process of engaging with the Government digital service seeking advice and guidance on how to make their websites accessible on handheld devices.

Government Departments: Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many complaints concerning Contracts Finder his Department has received since its inception.

Francis Maude: Businesslink, who manage Contracts Finder on the Government's behalf, have received five complaints, all of which have now been addressed and closed. We have also received six plaudits.

Government Departments: Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans his Department has to make Contracts Finder more accessible for small services businesses.

Francis Maude: The objective of Contracts Finder is to make Government contracts and opportunities more transparent, which is crucial to SMEs. In addition, we have taken three specific actions to make Contracts Finder more accessible to SMEs:
	First, an SME representative has accepted an invitation to sit on the board that oversees the delivery of Contracts Finder.
	Second, we have established a Contracts Finder SME Working Group to identify and address issues of concern and to promote good practice.
	Third, we will be upgrading Contracts Finder in October to improve the search facilities.

Government Departments: Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many notifications of tendering requirements have made use of a Prior Information Notice for Official Journal of the European Union procurements since May 2010.

Francis Maude: There were 1,059 Prior Information Notices from the United Kingdom, which were published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the period from 1 May 2010 to 14 July 2011.

Government Departments: Procurement

David Hanson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the (a) monetary value and (b) proportion of Government procurement from small and medium-sized enterprises in each of the last five years.

Francis Maude: Individual Departments have published this information for 2009-10 in their updated Business Plans, which can be seen via the Cabinet Office website:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/department-business-plans-updated
	A commentary on the overall picture is included in the SME Progress Report that published on 19 July:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/government-business-smes

Government Departments: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Civil Service has reviewed the (a) number and (b) location of Welsh speakers employed by Government (i) departments and (ii) agencies located outside Wales.

Francis Maude: The numbers of Welsh speakers employed by Government Departments and agencies are not collected centrally by Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office has not undertaken any review of Welsh speaking staff employed outside Wales.

Graduates: Unemployment

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (c) each other London borough.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 20July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the level of graduate unemployment figures in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (c) each other London borough. (68701)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Whilst the APS does collect data on graduate unemployment, no reliable statistics can be produced for the requested geographical breakdowns due to small sample sizes.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Graduates: Unemployment

Julie Elliott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many graduates under the age of 30 were unemployed in Sunderland in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many graduates under the age of 30 years were unemployed in Sunderland in each of the last five years. (68999)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Whilst the APS does collect data on graduate unemployment, no reliable statistics can be produced for the requested geographical and age breakdowns due to small sample sizes.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Life Expectancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average life expectancy is for people aged 65 living in (a) Brighton, Kemptown constituency, (b) East Sussex, (c) West Sussex and (d) England.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average life expectancy is for people aged 65 living in (a) Brighton, Kemptown, (b) East Sussex, (c) West Sussex and (d) England. (68812)
	Life expectancy figures are calculated as three-year rolling averages and are available for the UK, England and Wales, England, Wales, regions and counties in England, and local and unitary authorities in England and Wales. Figures for Brighton Kemptown parliamentary constituency are not available. Therefore figures have been provided for the Brighton and Hove unitary authority.
	Table 1 attached provides the period life expectancy at age 65 for men and women living in (a) Brighton and Hove unitary authority, (b) East Sussex county, (c) West Sussex county and (c) England, for 2007-09 (the latest figures available).
	Period life expectancies at birth and at age 65 for males and females are published on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/search/index.html?newquery= Period+life+expectancies+at+birth+and+at+age+65+for+ males+and+females
	
		
			 Table 1: Period life expectancy at age 65  (1)  , Brighton and Hove unitary authority, East Sussex and West Sussex counties, and England  (2)  , 2007-09  (3) 
			 Years of life 
			 Area Men Women 
			 England 18 21 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 18 21 
			 East Sussex 19 22 
			 West Sussex 19 21 
			 (1) Period life expectancy at age 65 is an estimate of the average number of years a 65-year-old would survive if he or she experienced the area's age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout the rest of his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a 65-year-old living in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those currently living in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Three year rolling average, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates.

Local Government: Pay

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many public sector employees in Yorkshire and the Humber were paid a basic salary higher than that of the Prime Minister in 2010-11.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many public sector employees in Yorkshire and the Humber were paid a basic salary higher than that of the Prime Minister in 2010-11. (68974)
	ONS's preferred measure of employee earnings comes from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). ASHE is carried out in April each year and is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	While the ASHE does collect data on public sector earnings in Yorkshire and Humber, no reliable statistics can be produced on the number of public sector employees earning greater than the Prime Minister's salary due to the relatively small sample size at this geographical breakdown.

Local Government: Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which local authorities were using Contracts Finder on the latest date for which information is available.

Francis Maude: We publish a list of buyer groups who have registered to use Contracts Finder at:
	http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1086925073&type=RESOURCES
	As of 30 August 2011, this included the following the local authorities:
	Babergh District Council
	Birmingham City Council
	Central Bedfordshire Council
	Cornwall Council
	Crawley Borough Council/Horsham District Council/Mid Sussex District Council Shared Procurement Service
	Dacorum Borough Council
	Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
	Ealing Borough Council
	Forest Heath District Council
	Gloucestershire shared service
	Guildford Borough Council
	Hambleton & Richmondshire District Councils
	Hampshire County Council
	Harrow Council
	Herfordshire County Council
	Horsham District Council
	Ipswich Borough Council
	King's Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council
	London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
	London Borough of Bexley
	London Borough of Camden
	London Borough of Hackney
	London Borough of Haringey
	London Borough of Hounslow
	London Borough of Lambeth
	London Borough of Lewisham
	London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
	Middlesbrough Borough Council
	Milton Keynes Council
	Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
	Norfolk County Council
	North Tyneside Council
	Northampton Borough Council
	Norwich City Council
	Oxford City Council
	Reading Borough Council
	Redditch Borough Council/Bromsgrove District Council
	Sheffield City Council
	Shropshire Council
	Solihull MBC
	Somerset County Council
	South Cambridgeshire District Council
	Southampton City Council
	Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
	St Edmundsbury Borough Council
	Staffordshire County Council
	Stockton on Tees Borough Council
	Stoke on Trent City Council
	Suffolk County Council
	Swindon Borough Council
	Tamworth Borough Council
	Tangmere Parish Council
	Walsall Council
	Wandsworth Borough Council
	Warrington Borough Council
	Warwickshire County Council
	Waveney District Council
	West Berkshire Council
	West Sussex County Council
	Wigan Council

Members: Correspondence

Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of (a) 13 April 2011 and (b) 30 June 2011 on behalf of Mr Neil O'Brien.

Francis Maude: The letters fell within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I asked the COI to reply.
	They replied on 12 May. I have asked for a copy to be resent for the hon. Member's convenience.

Mental Health Services: Death

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths were reported in mental health hospitals or units in each (a) London borough and (b) NHS mental health trust in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths were reported in mental health hospitals or units in each (a) London borough and (b) NHS mental health trust in each of the last five years. (69064)
	The table provides the number of deaths occurring in NHS psychiatric hospitals or units in each London borough between 2006 and 2010 (the latest year available). Place of death information is provided by the informant at death registration.
	Figures for individual years have been combined, in line with the ONS policy on protecting confidentiality within birth and death statistics.
	It is not possible to provide figures for each NHS mental health trust as the information collected at death registration does not distinguish between the organisations managerially responsible for the patient's care. Although the name and address of the hospital where the death occurred is recorded at registration the services provide at a single hospital site may be managed by several NHS Trusts or private contractors.
	Figures for the number of deaths by place of occurrence are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/search/index.html?newquery= number+of+deaths+registered+each+year+by+sex%2C+age %2C+cause+and+place+of+death
	Categories used to define place of occurrence include hospitals, hospices and at home. Figures for individual hospital sites are not routinely produced.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths occurring in NHS psychiatric hospitals or units, London boroughs, 2006-2010  (1,2,3,4,5,6) 
			  Persons 
			 Borough Deaths 
			 Bromley 4 
			 Camden 4 
			 Hackney 1 
			 Haringey 59 
			 Hillingdon 16 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1 
			 Newham 7 
			 Redbridge 2 
			 Southwark 4 
			 Tower Hamlets 5 
			 Waltham Forest 1 
			 Wandsworth 3 
			 Westminster 25 
			 (1) London boroughs that contain no NHS psychiatric hospitals or units are not included in the table. (2) London boroughs that contain NHS psychiatric hospitals or units but where no deaths occurred between 2006 and 2010 are not included in the table. (3) A person who dies in an establishment in a specific area may not be resident in that area. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (5) Figures for communal establishments are provisional until November 2011. (6) Based on boundaries as of 2011.

National Security Adviser

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the objectives are of the National Security Adviser.

Francis Maude: As set out on the Government website:
	www.data.gov.uk
	the NSA’s responsibilities are as follows:
	The National Security Adviser is the Prime Minister's adviser on international and domestic security issues. Secretary to the National Security Council co-ordinating policy advice and decision making across Government and managing the National Security Secretariat in support of the Council. Co-ordinator of the intelligence community, accounting officer for the Single Intelligence Account, and line manager of the Heads of Intelligence Agencies. The National Security Adviser's remit includes: Foreign and Defence Policy; Counter Terrorism; Intelligence Policy; the governance and resourcing of the secret intelligence agencies; Cyber Security; Resilience and crisis management.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what basis local authorities were chosen to participate in trials of social impact bonds for family intervention; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The four local authorities chosen for the pilot schemes are Westminster city council, the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Birmingham city council and Leicestershire county council. These areas were chosen on the basis of being community budget areas, having a clear focus for how social impact bonds could be used to help troubled families, and being committed to detailed design work.
	Following the development of these pilot schemes, the Government will consider whether similar contracts could be developed in other local areas.
	In addition, the Department for Education is planning to work with other local authorities that want to get advances on their Early Intervention Grant to invest in redesign of services to improve outcomes for troubled families, based on the potential savings such changes could make.

Personal Data: UK Citizens

David Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions live personal data relating to UK citizens held by Government Departments has been off-shored in the last five years.

Francis Maude: Information is not held centrally as individual Departments are responsible for decisions relating to the off-shoring of personal data (either ‘live’ or otherwise). To assist with the decision making process, the Government have provided guidance to all Departments on off-shoring which includes risk assessment as well as value for money considerations. Any decision must also comply with UK and EU Data Protection legislation and regulations.
	Where suppliers proffer off-shored services certain safeguards apply; for example, the Government's standard terms and conditions provide the necessary protections where personal data may be off-shored. These can be found in the Office of Government Commerce Procurement Policy Note;
	“Data Handling Review—Further information about the processes and contractual provisions that are necessary for robust and appropriate data handling processes.”

Social Enterprises

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of central government procurement expenditure was spent with social enterprises in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: Data are not available to determine the proportion of central Government procurement expenditure to social enterprises.
	Information on central Government spend to the voluntary and charitable sector (including both grants and contracts) is available through Departmental Business Plans, published at:
	http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/transparency/srp/
	Latest figures for 2009-10 have been published by 11 central Government Departments to date, totalling £1.27 billion. This figure will include some grants and contracts to social enterprises.

Street Collectors: Regulations

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects regulations in the Charities Act 2006 giving powers to local authorities to regulate street collectors to be laid before the House.

Nick Hurd: There are no current plans to commence part 3 of the Charities Act 2006, and make the necessary supporting regulations. The future licensing and regulation of public charitable collections will be considered as part of the review of the Charities Act 2006, due to begin later this year. In the current economic climate implementation of the Charities Act 2006 licensing provisions will have to be weighed against other priorities. Effectiveness, affordability and value for money will be important factors in determining whether the new licensing regime is implemented. Whatever the outcome of the review, we want to make it easier for charities to fundraise responsibly, whilst deterring bogus collectors and preventing nuisance for members of the public. Under the Police, Factories etc. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1916, and local street collections regulations, local licensing authorities already have the power to regulate most types of charitable street collections.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling stock

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what reviews have been undertaken by his Department or its agencies on the alignment of public procurement processes with the objective of rebalancing the economy in favour of manufacturing since May 2010.

Francis Maude: The principal objective of public sector procurement is to achieve the best value for money for the public purse. Within the context of that overarching objective, the current phase of the Growth Review will explore how Government can manage public procurement in a way that supports UK strategic capability and competitive supply chains.
	In addition, we are currently considering our position on the role of public procurement in delivering wider policy objectives and will be making an announcement in due course.

Vacancies

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of job vacancies available in (a) Richmond-upon-Thames and (b) Kingston-upon-Thames borough in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of job vacancies available in (a) Richmond-Upon-Thames and (b) Kingston-Upon-Thames borough in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. (69535)
	Information on job vacancies below a UK level is from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and consequently is inconsistent with the UK estimates from the Vacancy Survey. Currently Jobcentre Plus vacancies account for around half of the total number of vacancies as reported by the Vacancy Survey.
	In Table 1, we have provided the number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies for each of the latest 12 months for which figures are available for Richmond-Upon-Thames and Kingston-Upon-Thames borough.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies, June 2010 to June 2011  (1) 
			  Kingston-upon-Thames Richmond-upon-Thames 
			 2010   
			 June 799 573 
			 July 618 544 
			 August 1,012 633 
			 September — — 
			 October 647 620 
			 November 730 716 
			 December 583 468 
			 2011   
			 January 430 389 
			 February 890 596 
			 March 682 553 
			 April 561 349 
			 May 386 382 
			 June 646 486 
			 (1) Data for September 2010 are not currently available.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Administrative System.

JUSTICE

UK Bill of Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish copies of the (a) work programme, (b) minutes of meetings and (c) agenda and meeting papers of the Commission on a UK Bill of Rights.

Kenneth Clarke: It will be for the Commission to determine whether it publishes a work programme, the minutes of its meetings and agendas and meeting papers.
	The Commission has published the minutes of its meeting of 6 May and a discussion paper ‘Do we need a UK Bill of Rights’ on its web pages. It will publish further details of its work in due course.

Bail

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 324W, on bail, how many people breached their bail conditions where (a) a surety and (b) a security were given in order for bail to be granted in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: During financial year April 2010 to March 2011, there were a total of 45 breaches of bail conditions (securities only) amounting to forfeiture of £179,560.86. There were no forfeitures of bail conditions where surety was given.
	This was recovered in full from bail deposits (lodged) paid directly into the HMCTS Bail Deposit bank account.

Cemeteries: Injuries

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries have occurred in each graveyard in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is not held or collated centrally. Responsibility for the safety of graveyards lies with individual burial authorities and to obtain this information from them would be at disproportionate cost, as it would require officials to contact every burial authority in England and Wales.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many complaints the Legal Ombudsman received about (a) claims management companies and (b) other non-regulated legal services providers such as will writers in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of the cost of running the Ombudsman scheme were spent on dealing with claims management complaints outside the scheme's jurisdiction in the last year for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The latest figures published in the Office for Legal Complaints annual report show that the Legal Ombudsman received 38,155 contacts during its first six months of operation. Of these between 40-50% are signposted to other organisations. Approximately 9% of signposted complaints related to claims management companies or other non-regulated legal service providers.
	There is a cost to the Legal Ombudsman in signposting these complaints and in some cases in determining whether they fall within jurisdiction. While it is not possible to place an exact figure on this the Legal Ombudsman estimates the costs to be around £150,000 per annum of which approximately one third relates to claims management complaints.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of claims management companies where a director or senior employee was previously employed by a claims management company that is no longer authorised by his Department.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Department does not hold statistical information on the number of claims management companies where a director or senior employee was previously employed by a claims management company that is no longer authorised. However, we do closely monitor the activities of claims management businesses that have directors or senior employees who were previously associated with claims management businesses that are no longer authorised. Checks are also carried out into applicant businesses, including determining the suitability of individuals, such as directors or senior employees, who would have an influence on an applicant business's policy or management.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times his Department has taken account of consumer complaints in determining whether to license a claims management company.

Jonathan Djanogly: A number of factors are taken into account in determining whether to issue licences. This includes any information and complaints received from consumers in respect of the applicant business. Businesses are prohibited from carrying out any regulated claims management services before the issue of a licence and as such, consumer complaints about the provision of such services are not generally a feature in the determination.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost has been to his Department of handling complaints against claims management companies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) the current financial year.

Jonathan Djanogly: The net cost to this Department of handling complaints against claims management companies is nil. The cost of operating the claims management regulatory regime, which handles such complaints, is met by fees charged to claims management companies.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff (a) employed and (b) contracted by his Department to work on claims management regulation handle complaints about claims management companies.

Jonathan Djanogly: At the end of July 2011, eight employees and 39 contracted staff work in the Department's claims management regulation unit. Three employees and seven contracted staff handle consumer advice matters, including complaints. Claims management regulation is primarily a statutory regulatory function under the Compensation Act 2006. Although it has limited complaints-handling powers, the claims management regulation unit provides a considerable amount of informal advice and assistance to consumers.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what remedies the Claims Management Regulator has awarded since April 2011 to consumers who complained to them about the poor service provided by a claims management company.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Claims Management Regulator has not awarded any formal remedies to consumers since April 2011, but we have helped 1,338 consumers to resolve their complaints against claims management companies between April and June 2011. This includes advising consumers on the options available to them, contacting businesses to discuss the consumer's complaint and where appropriate ask the business to provide partial or full refunds of fees paid.

Community Orders

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many community orders were handed down in each of the last five years; and how many such orders were handed down with (a) a mental health treatment order, (b) an unpaid work order and (c) a drug rehabilitation requirement.

Crispin Blunt: The following tables show the number of offenders starting community order supervision by the probation service and the numbers of mental health, unpaid work and drug treatment requirements started under those orders in each of the last five years.
	
		
			 Table A: Offenders starting community orders, England and Wales, 2006-10 
			  Number 
			 2006 111,752 
			 2007 117,860 
			 2008 120,743 
			 2009 122,796 
			 2010 118,696 
		
	
	
		
			 Table B: Number of requirements commenced under community orders, England and Wales, 2006-10 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Mental health treatment 750 652 739 809 743 
			 Unpaid work 66,937 74,779 74,629 76,699 73,797 
			 Drug treatment 11,895 12,145 13,153 12,087 11,996 
			 Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Community Orders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he expects probation trusts to take on additional staff to manage cash flow following a successful bid for the provision of Unpaid Work in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: In the event that it is a successful bidder for the provision of unpaid work, it will be a matter for the trust to decide how it manages the financial arrangements.

Community Orders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who (a) the customer for and (b) the provider of Unpaid Work in England and Wales is.

Crispin Blunt: Probation trusts are the providers who currently deliver community payback (unpaid work) under contract to NOMS MOJ. NOMS commissions the provision to enable courts to include unpaid work as a requirement of a community sentence.

Community Orders

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people breached their (a) community order and (b) suspended sentence in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005, (vi) 2006, (vii) 2007, (viii) 2008, (ix) 2009 and (x) 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on breaches of community sentences by individual offenders is recorded by probation trusts on their case management systems. It is used in the day-to-day management of offenders, including as a trigger to appropriate action in response to breach, for example through formal warnings or enforcement action, but the figures requested do not form part of trusts' routine reporting.
	Data are available on the reasons for termination of community orders and suspended sentence orders. These reasons include early termination for failure to comply with requirements or for conviction of a further offence. Figures for the percentage of cases which terminated for these and other reasons for the years 2006 to 2010 have been published in Table A4.23 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics annual tables for 2010 on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/mojstats/omcs-annual-tables-2010.zip
	Figures relating to 2001 to 2005 were published in Table 5.1 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100406130654/http://justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/omcs2007.pdf
	The community order and suspended sentence order were introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and apply to offences committed on or after 4 April 2005. Other community sentences applied before this date and are shown in the published figures for the earlier years in the time series requested.
	Not all breaches of community sentences will result in early termination. In line with National Standards for the Management of Offenders 2011 and the accompanying draft Practice Framework an offender who fails to comply with the terms of his or her supervision on a community order or suspended sentence order may be given one formal warning in any 12-month period on an order before breach action becomes required. Furthermore, although the court which hears an allegation of breach on a community order may decide to revoke the order and replace it with an alternative community or custodial sentence, it may on the other hand decide that the order should continue with more onerous requirements.

Corruption

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish annually (a) an action plan and (b) a progress report on his work as the Government's Anti-corruption Champion.

Kenneth Clarke: I refer you to my previous parliamentary written answers of 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 453W and 23 May 2001, Official Report, column 400W, to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Catherine McKinnell), in which I outlined my role as the UK's International Anti-corruption Champion and the actions I plan to complete during the remainder of 2011.
	The UK is currently being evaluated by both the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the OECD on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. Officials from a number of Government Departments and law enforcement agencies are completing reports which will be published next year and will provide a detailed analysis of the UK's progress in anti-corruption. In light of this, I do not consider that an additional annual progress report is required.

Corruption

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps as the Government's Anti-Corruption Champion to reduce corruption and increase transparency in international sports governing bodies through the UK's membership of such bodies; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: On behalf of the UK Government, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Hugh Robertson), has supported the EU presidency's aim to ensure all international sports bodies become more transparent and accountable for the worldwide good of the sport. Further, member states agreed in the EU Work Plan themes which were adopted on 20 May 2011 that priority should be given to the integrity of sport, in particular the fight against doping, match-fixing and the promotion of good governance. The UK will play an active role in the expert group established to take this work forward and the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), will take a keen interest in the progress made in this area.

Cremation: Burial

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the fee required in order for doctors to release a body for cremation or burial was in each primary care trust area in each financial year since 1997-98; how many bodies have been released for cremation or burial in each financial year since 1997; and if he will publish any submissions received by his Department from the British Medical Association concerning the level of such fees.

Jonathan Djanogly: No fees are payable to medical practitioners for the release of bodies for burial or cremation.
	Fees are, however, payable to medical practitioners who complete the statutory medical certificates required to enable cremation to take place but these fees are not set or collated centrally.
	The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for cremation and burial law and policy but it does not collect annual statistics for cremations and burials. To do so would be at disproportionate cost as it would require officials to contact every burial and cremation authority in England and Wales.
	The Ministry of Justice has not received any submissions from the British Medical Association on this subject.

Crime: Victims

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) victims of crime and (b) families of victims of crime are able to claim (i) transportation costs, (ii) lunch expenses and (iii) accommodation costs when attending the parole hearing of a defendant relevant to their case if they are unable to meet such costs.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice funds the Bereaved Relatives Fund which is administered by Victim Support. Victims bereaved by crime can apply for financial assistance to help meet the travel, food and accommodation costs associated with attending trials and Parole Board oral hearings. Victim Support will exercise discretion and may exceptionally agree to meet the costs of victims, other than those who have been bereaved, to attend a Parole Board hearing. Priority will, however, be given to victims bereaved by crime.
	We are working with the Parole Board towards a pilot of using video-link technology at oral hearings. If the pilot proves successful, it is likely to have a positive benefit in giving more victims the opportunity to deliver their victim personal statement locally rather than incur the cost, inconvenience and occasional distress of travelling to the prison in which the Parole Board hearing is taking place.

Crime: Victims

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) victims of crime and (b) families of victims of crime receive at no charge transcripts of any court case relevant to them.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government have no plans to provide full transcripts of court hearings to victims of crime and their families free of charge. Such a step would be unaffordable and create significant administrative burdens. The Government are currently considering the report from the Victims' Commissioner which proposes that sentencing remarks and trial transcripts should be provided to bereaved families.

Crimes Against Humanity: World War II

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted since 1981 of offences relating to crimes against humanity committed during the Second World War.

Crispin Blunt: Information collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not separately identify offences of crimes against humanity. War crimes and crimes against humanity are recorded as murder or ancillary offences.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when the review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority will commence;
	(2)  whether the review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority will include the rules relating to payments for victims of attacks by dogs.

Crispin Blunt: The Government are not reviewing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority but are reviewing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which the authority administers. We intend to bring forward proposals for consultation in the autumn.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases lodged with the Criminal Injuries Authority had not been settled on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority's live caseload was 50,065 on 19 July 2011.

Cycling: Convictions

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many cyclists were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for (i) injuring and (ii) killing pedestrians in each year since 1996;
	(2)  what the average sentence was of cyclists convicted of (a) killing and (b) injuring pedestrians in each year since 1996.

Crispin Blunt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer 1 gave on 9 May 2011, Official Report, column 959W.
	Data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice do not include information about the circumstances of each case other than those which may be identified from a statute. It is therefore not possible to specifically identify from offences in which cyclists are involved in death or injury or the status of victims, pedestrian or otherwise, involved in road traffic accidents.

Data Protection

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is considering in respect of the trade in personal data by the media, insurance companies and other third parties; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 452W, to the right hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames), which concerns the unlawful trade in personal data and refers to the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking. The final Terms of Reference for the Leveson Inquiry were announced on 20 July 2011 and include the extent to which the current policy and regulatory framework may have failed, including in relation to data protection.
	The current legislative framework for data protection is being reviewed, and the Government are preparing for negotiations on a new EU legislative instrument for data protection. These negotiations are expected to begin later this year, and will look at the way data is shared and processed.
	However, it should be noted that personal data can also be traded between organisations lawfully, providing all appropriate requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation are met. Privacy notices can assist in meeting those requirements, but they must be clear, upfront and informative, and inform individuals, among other things, with whom this data will be shared. Any breaches of the DPA can result in enforcement action taken by the Information Commissioner.

Debt Collection

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which part of Government is responsible for the collection of fines imposed at (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, an Executive agency of the Ministry of Justice, is responsible for the collection of fines imposed in the magistrates and Crown courts.

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following table shows the occasions when the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has flown by budget airline and economy class:
	
		
			 Flight Reason for flight 
			 Economy Class  
			 London to Luxembourg Flights to and from October—European Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg 
			 Zurich to London Return flight from December—European Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels 
			   
			 Budget Carrier  
			 London to Gdansk Flights to and from July—European Justice and Home Affairs Council in Poland

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1018W, on departmental carbon emissions, whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation on its estate were manufactured in the UK.

Jonathan Djanogly: Pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1018W, on departmental carbon emissions the sources of low-carbon energy generation on the Ministry of Justice estate were manufactured as follows:
	Partnerships for Renewables turbine procurement strategy is driven by market availability at the time of commencing construction. The National Offender Management Service, in association with Partnerships for Renewables, has plans for wind energy generation at Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey. Turbines are required to meet with the technical criteria imposed by the planning permission. Partnerships for Renewables anticipate the turbines for the Standford Hill project to come from Europe as no appropriate-scale onshore turbines are currently manufactured in the UK.
	HM Courts and Tribunals Service are piloting photovoltaics at Leeds Combined Court Centre. The photovoltaic at Leeds is manufactured in Durham, UK.
	The National Archives at Kew utilises a 150 kWe Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to generate low carbon electricity from natural gas. The unit was manufactured in Manchester, UK.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold records centrally of the pre-employment details of its senior civil servants. To establish the pre-employment status of all current and prior employed senior civil servants (SCS) for the last years four years would require a manual examination of all SCS personal records and incur a disproportionate cost.
	The consultancy agreements in place over the last four years is given in the following tables. The Ministry of Justice does not hold information centrally on how many consultants from those firms shown have advised the Ministry in each year. To establish this information would require a detailed examination of all agreements and incur a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 
			 Year contract commenced Contract description 
			 2008 Specification, Benchmarking and Costing Programme for Prisons and Probation 
			  Accountancy advice on the Quantum Contract 
			  Consultancy support to the reorganisation and redevelopment programme 
			   
			 2009 Support to develop Framework For Probation Trust Programme 
			  Specification, Benchmarking and Costing Programme for Prisons and Probation 
			  Probation Transformation, Start up Brief 
			   
			 2010 National Offender Management Services (NOMS) Operational Framework 
			  Operating Model Review 
			  Public Value Programme HM Courts Service Operation Modelling 
			  NOMS Operational Framework scenario analysis 
			   
			 2011 No contracts 
		
	
	
		
			 Deloitte 
			 Year contract commenced Contract description 
			 2008 No contracts 
			   
			 2009 Programme Consultancy 
			   
			 2010 Negotiate lease of Westminster Magistrates Court 
			  Technical Financial Management Support 
			  Estates Management/Surveying Services (Framework Contract) 
			  Transforming Justice 
			  Phoenix Technical Review 
			   
			 2011 Actuarial Review of Probation Trusts annual pension statements 
			  Provision of Business Consultancy Services to support NOMS Prison Industries 
		
	
	
		
			 Ernst & Young 
			 Year contract commenced Contract description 
			 2008 No contracts 
			   
			 2009 Financial Support to Legal Services Commission 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 Financial analysis 
			  Consultancy Services for Ministry of Justice Finance Function Review 
			  In-house delivery of internal audit services 
			   
			 2011 No contracts 
		
	
	
		
			 KPMG 
			 Year contract commenced Contract description 
			 2008 Support development of the NOMS regional scorecard 
			  Probation trusts programme review consultancy 
			  Framework Agreement Contract for the provision of Concept Designers, Project Managers and Technical Advisors and Financial Advisors Consultancy Services 
			   
			 2009 Witness Service Review 
			  Criminal Justice Services Exchange 
			   
			 2010 Benchmarking costs exercise 
			  HM Lands Registry Feasibility Study 
			   
			 2011 Specification 
			  Accounts Production 2010-11

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice received 920 letters from hon. Members in June 2011.

Domestic Violence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the level of funding per head of population for domestic violence services through the Victims and Witnesses General Fund in (a) England and (b) Wales in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the level of funding allocated per head of population from the Victim and Witness General Fund. However, the following table shows the grants awarded from the Fund to domestic-violence services across England and Wales, providing a breakdown by area. This information is available on the Ministry of Justice website.
	
		
			  Geographical area covered Total award over three years (£) 
			 Organisations in England   
			 Acorns North Tyneside 100,767 
			 Refuge Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Coventry and Warwickshire 313,169 
			 Nottingham Women's Aid Ltd Nottingham 103,460 
			 My Sister's Place Middlesbrough 122,667 
		
	
	
		
			 Women's Aid Integrated Service Nottingham and Newark 186,445 
			 Crime Reduction Initiative East Sussex 106,887 
			 Domestic Violence Services (Keighley) Bradford North and Bradford South 290,800 
			 East Surrey Domestic Abuse Services Surrey 121,428 
			 Early interventions and Protection Services Portsmouth 120,000 
			 Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid Birmingham 120,575 
			 Citizen's Advice Bureau (Maidstone) Maidstone 90,000 
			 The NIA Project Hackney and Tower Hamlets 129,668 
			 Domestic Violence and Abuse Service (S&W Devon) Devon 339,381 
			 North Derbyshire Women's Aid North East Derbyshire 95,715 
			 Southampton Women's Aid Southampton 96,000 
			 Stonham Staffordshire 100,872 
			 Women's Trust Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea 142,230 
			 Leeway Norfolk 99,904 
			 RISE Brighton 122,506 
			 BCHA Bournemouth, Poole and Somerset 216,805 
			 Sandwell Women's Aid Sandwell and Dudley 110,415 
			 Survive (Bristol) Yate 134,449 
			 Novas Scarman Group Cheltenham 108,517 
			 OASIS Domestic Violence Service Canterbury and Thanet 117,788 
			 Advance Hammersmith, Fulham and Brent 60,000 
			 North Nottinghamshire Independent Domestic Abuse Services (NNIDAS) Mansfield and Ashfield 108,827 
			 Arch (Staffs) Stoke on Trent 114,167 
			 Victim Support South Devon 124,200 
			 Lighthouse Women's Aid Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Lowestoft 372,081 
			 Total  4,269,723.00 
			    
			 Organisations in Wales   
			 Domestic Abuse Safety Unit Flintshire, North Wales 90,000 
			 Safer Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil 67,382 
			 Wrexham Women's Aid Wrexham 138,639 
			 Atal-y-Fro Vale of Glamorgan 123,774 
			 Total  419,795.00

Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on ensuring that victims of domestic abuse have full access to legal aid under his proposals for reform of legal aid.

Jonathan Djanogly: We published the Government's response to the consultation on “Proposals for the Reform of legal aid in England and Wales” on 21 June. Legal aid will remain available for applications for civil remedies for domestic violence under the Family Law Act 1996, and for injunctions to restrain abusive behaviour, as at present. For private family law cases, such as disputes about children or finance following the breakdown of a relationship, legal aid will be available for victims of domestic violence where there is objective evidence of abuse.
	I announced to the Public Bill Committee on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on 19 July that the Government will also retain civil legal aid for cases arising under the immigration domestic violence rule.

Driving Offences: Victims

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review his policy on charging victims of vehicle theft for parking and release fees.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no Home Office policy to this effect. The police are empowered to remove and store any vehicle, stolen or not, that has been left illegally, dangerously or obstructively on a road, has broken down on a road, or has been abandoned. Removal is necessary to enable the police to enforce the law, remove obstructions and potential dangers, prevent any further theft or vandalism of the vehicles, their being used for crime or becoming a focus of crime or environmental degradation, or being driven while in a dangerous condition. To meet the very significant costs involved in such removals and storage nationwide, the police are empowered to charge vehicle owners prescribed fees before releasing a vehicle back to them. This includes in cases where the vehicle was stolen. The police may at their discretion waive the charges in individual cases, but if they do so the cost falls to their general budget and diverts resources from other use. Any request for charges to be waived or for reimbursement of paid charges would be a matter for the individual force concerned. When taking out an insurance policy, motorists may wish to consider whether to seek cover for the charges.

Drugs: Convictions

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Chatham and Aylesford constituency have been convicted of (a) possession and (b) supply of illegal drugs of each classification level in each year since 2007; and how many such people received (i) a custodial sentence and (ii) the maximum sentence in each case.

Crispin Blunt: Persons found guilty, sentenced and given the statutory maximum sentence at all courts for possession, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug, by classification, in Kent police force area from 2007 to 2010, can be viewed in the following tables.
	Court proceedings data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
	
		
			 Number of persons found guilty at all courts and sentenced for possession, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug and maximum sentence, Kent police force area, 2007-10  (1, 2, 3) 
			  2007 2008 
			 Drug offences Found guilty Total sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Maximum sentence Found guilty Total sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Maximum sentence 
			 Possession class A (Max 7 years) 247 245 24 221 0 271 270 17 253 0 
			 Possession class B (Max 5 years) 92 90 8 82 0 73 73 3 70 0 
			 Possession class C (Max 2 years) 54 54 1 53 0 55 55 — 55 0 
			 Possession class unspecified — — — — n/a — — — — n/a 
			 Possession cannabis(4) (Max 5 years) 45 48 — 48 0 379 380 5 375 0 
			            
			 Supply class A (Max life) 63 64 47 17 0 106 102 82 20 0 
			 Supply class B (Max 14 years) 1 — — — 0 2 2 — 2 0 
			 Supply class C (Max 14 years) 5 6 1 5 0 5 5 1 4 0 
			 Supply class unspecified 2 2 2 — n/a 9 9 9 — n/a 
			 Supply cannabis(4) (Max 14 years) 1 3 — 3 0 8 7 2 5 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Possession with intent to supply Class A (Max life) 52 52 36 16 0 64 62 47 15 0 
			 Possession with intent to supply Class B ( Max 14 years) 5 5 3 2 0 5 5 3 2 0 
			 Possession with intent to supply Class C (Max 14 years) 6 8 4 4 0 17 25 10 15 0 
			 Possession with intent to supply Class unspecified 1 1 1 — n/a — — — — n/a 
			 Possession with intent to supply cannabis (Max 14 years) 10 10 4 6 0 25 21 4 17 0 
		
	
	
		
			  2009 2010 
			 Drug offences Found guilty Total sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Maximum sentence Found guilty Total sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Maximum sentence 
			 Possession class A (Max 7 years) 291 290 22 268 4 296 295 16 279 0 
			 Possession class B (Max 5 years) 108 108 3 105 0 145 143 5 138 0 
			 Possession class C (Max 2 years) 20 20 3 17 0 29 30 — 30 0 
			 Possession class unspecified 1 1 1 — n/a — — — — n/a 
			 Possession cannabis(4) (Max 5 years) 400 402 20 382 0 425 426 10 416 0 
			            
			 Supply class A (Max life) 63 64 53 11 0 96 98 87 11 0 
			 Supply class B (Max 14 years) 7 7 6 1 0 8 8 2 6 0 
			 Supply class C (Max 14 years) 10 10 6 4 0 1 1 1 — 0 
			 Supply class unspecified 23 23 22 1 n/a 34 34 32 2 n/a 
			 Supply cannabis(4) (Max 14 years) 17 17 13 4 0 8 9 3 6 0 
			            
			 Possession with intent to supply Class A (Max life) 97 96 79 17 0 96 98 71 27 0 
			 Possession with intent to supply Class B ( Max 14 years) 12 13 7 6 0 18 17 6 11 0 
			 Possession with intent to supply Class C (Max 14 years) 9 10 4 6 0 4 4 2 2 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Possession with intent to supply Class unspecified 5 5 5 — n/a — — — — n/a 
			 Possession with intent to supply Cannabis (Max 14 years) 43 43 10 33 0 61 61 21 40 0 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1 )The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (4) Cannabis was re-classified to a class B drug on 26 January 2009. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

European Court of Human Rights

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what advice he has received on the ability of the UK acting alone to block the adoption of resolutions and any other decisions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regarding (a) the establishment of a timescale for the enactment of a change in UK law pursuant to the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst v. United Kingdom (No. 2) and (b) the UK's execution of any other judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.

Jonathan Djanogly: Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights are binding on the UK as a matter of international law. The Committee of Ministers supervises the implementation of judgments by member states. The committee comprises representatives of all 47 member states of the Council of Europe, including the UK. Its resolutions and decisions are adopted by consensus wherever possible, otherwise by two-thirds majority vote as stipulated by the Committee's rules, meaning no member state acting alone is able to block them.

Fines

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many standard scale level (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five and (f) six fines were (i) levied and (ii) collected in full in (A) 2001, (B) 2002, (C) 2003, (D) 2004, (E) 2005, (F) 2006, (G) 2007, (H) 2008, (I) 2009 and (J) 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: To ascertain the number of standard scale level one, two, three, four and five fines imposed at the magistrates courts and collected in full would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to increase scrutiny of policies related to human rights from the Council of Europe and its institutions by (a) the Government and (b) Parliament.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government have no plans to increase Government or parliamentary scrutiny of human rights policies originating from the Council of Europe and its institutions.
	Most such policies are not legally binding on member states, and those that are would trigger the existing scrutiny arrangements in section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2005 before the United Kingdom became party to them.

Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to bring forward any measures relating to human rights in response to Resolution 1823 (2011) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe entitled National parliaments: guarantors of human rights in Europe.

Jonathan Djanogly: There are no plans to bring forward any specific measures in response to Resolution 1823(2011). The United Kingdom is cited as a positive example in the text of the Resolution for having established parliamentary structures to monitor the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

Immigration Advisory Service

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who will assume responsibility for the casework of the Immigration Advisory Service following the organisation entering administration.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has been working closely with IAS's auditors and their wider immigration and asylum provider base to ensure the efficient transfer of files to alternative providers. At the time of writing, the LSC has had indications from providers that there is capacity to take on an additional 28,000 case starts, against the 8,000 live files IAS had at the time they went into administration. The LSC and the administrators are also working to identify urgent matters, involving for example unaccompanied asylum seeking minors or those with hearings in the very near future, with the objective of allocating these cases as a priority.

Knives: Crime

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were sentenced for threatening someone with a knife in each of the last three years; and what sentence they received in each case.

Crispin Blunt: Data held centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include information about the circumstances behind each case, other than that which may be identified from a statute. It is not possible to separately identify those specific cases where the defendant was proceeded against for threatening someone with a knife.

Legal Services Board

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Legal Services Board has taken in preparation for becoming the independent regulator for claims management under the provisions of the Legal Services Act 2007.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Board has no plans to seek oversight of claims management regulation or to provide claims management regulation directly.

Neil Wallis

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his private office and (d) (i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with Neil Wallis since his appointment; and on what dates.

Jonathan Djanogly: I can confirm that the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has not had any communications with Neil Wallis since being appointed. I can also confirm on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice that other individuals specified by the hon. Member have not had communications with Neil Wallis.
	Due to the large number of officials in the Ministry, the work involved in searching records to assemble information for officials would exceed the cost limit for answering parliamentary questions. However, the permanent secretary and directors general in the Ministry of Justice have confirmed they have not had communications with Neil Wallis.

Paedophilia

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for offences related to paedophilia there were in each of the last five years; and what the (a) average, (b) shortest and (c) longest custodial sentence for such offences was in each such year.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 shows the number of defendants aged 18 and over found guilty at all courts, sentenced and the average custodial sentence length (in months) for sexual offences against children and the production and possession of indecent photographs in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (latest available). Table 2 shows the number of defendants aged 18 and over sentenced to the shortest and longest custodial sentence given for sexual offences against children in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010.
	Information held centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. These statutes do not identify offences as relating to ‘paedophilia’.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring 2012.
	
		
			 Table 1: Defendants aged 18 and over found guilty all courts, sentenced and the average custodial sentence length (months)  (1)   for sexual offences against children  (2)   and the production and possession of indecent photographs in England and Wales, 2006-10  (3,4) 
			  2006 2007 2008  (5) 2009 2010 
			 Found guilty 2,942 3,026 3,299 3,394 3,861 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,964 2,998 3,300 3,359 3,841 
			 Immediate custody 1,939 1.965 2,165 2,159 2,373 
			 Of which:      
			 Average custodial sentence length 37.4 41.0 41.3 45.7 46.7 
			 (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (2) Sexual offences against children include: Sexual Offences Act 1956, Sexual Offences Act 2003, Indecency with Children Act 1960, Protection of Children Act 1978 and Criminal Justice Act 1988. (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (6) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Police Cautions: Kent

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many police cautions were issued in (a) Dartford constituency and (b) Kent in each year since 1997.

Crispin Blunt: Offenders cautioned for all offences in the Kent police force area from 1997 to 2010 (latest available), can be viewed in the following table.
	Cautions data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Cautions and court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring 2012.
	
		
			 Offenders cautioned  (1,2)   for all offences in Kent police force area, 1997 to 2010  (3) 
			  Offenders 
			 1997 7,129 
			 1998 8,570 
			 1999 8,533 
			 2000 7,655 
			 2001 7,339 
			 2002 6,479 
			 2003 8,252 
			 2004 10,013 
		
	
	
		
			 2005 10,166 
			 2006 11,541 
			 2007 12,057 
			 2008 10,627 
			 2009 11,385 
			 2010 9,234 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Prison Accommodation

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) effects on the number of prison places of implementing (i) section 154, (ii) section 155, (iii) section 280, (iv) section 281, (v) section 282, (vi) section 283, (vii) section 298, (viii) Schedule 25, (ix) Schedule 26, (x) Schedule 27, (xi) paragraphs 17, 27, 33 and 68(2) of Part 1 Schedule 32 and (xii) Part 2 of Schedule 32 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Crispin Blunt: All of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act listed in the question relate to the increase in magistrates sentencing powers required to deliver the unimplemented "custody plus" sentence. The Government have considered whether to implement these provisions but have concluded that they remain unaffordable. The Government therefore propose to repeal the provisions in order to simplify the law.

Prison: Standards

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services, if he will place in the Library a copy of any analytical reports used by the National Offender Management Service in determining the prison establishments most suitable for the present round of market testing.

Crispin Blunt: To determine the prisons included in the competition announcement that I made on 13 July 2011 the following publicly available data was taken into account:
	Prison category
	Prison location (region).
	The following internal metrics were also taken into account:
	Prison size as defined by operational capacity in March 2010.
	Direct cost per place as defined by operational capacity in March 2010. Direct costs are taken from 2009-10 outturns, with costs associated with unique services stripped out.
	An internal assessment of the suitability for payment by results.
	An internal assessment of the suitability for working prisons.
	Latest estimates of maintenance necessary to be undertaken in the next ten years
	Internal estimates of potential levels of inefficiency on a prison by prison basis used to estimate the potential savings which could be delivered as a result of competition.
	I have included and placed in the Library a summary of all these metrics for the nine prisons competed, except the internal estimates of potential levels of inefficiency and the level of maintenance, because this data is commercial in confidence.
	
		
			 Table 1: Recommended candidates for prison competition 
			  Name Category Op cap Region Cost per place (£) Cluster suitable for PBR Industrial prisons Rationale for selection 
			 a Lindholme—including Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre Cat C 1,134 Yorkshire 18,608 Yes Yes 1. Lindholme infrastructure allows re-role as industrial prison, given good infrastructure. 
			  Moorland Cat C 779 Yorkshire 20,221 Yes — 2. The cluster allows diverse prison system where providers may bid for entire package under PBR. 
			  Hatfield Open 260 Yorkshire 20,221 Yes — 3. New geographical area introduced. 
			         4. Potential to attract competitive labour market rates. 
			          
			 b Onley Cat C 707 East Midlands 24,740 — — 1. High potential for financial saving. 
			         2. Introduces competitive pressure in geographical area with incumbent private providers. 
			          
			  Coldingley Cat C 513 South East 27,326 — Yes 1. New geographical area introduced (South East). 
		
	
	
		
			         2. Sufficient infrastructure ensures every prisoner is able to work. 
			  The Wolds Cat C 395 Yorkshire 23,651 — — 1. Current contract expires January 2013. Needs to be re-competed. 
			          
			 c Acklington Cat C 946 North East 20,157 Yes — 1. New geographical area introduced (North East). 
			  Castington YOI 410 North East 35,987 Yes — 2. Suitable for PBR as a cluster. 
			  Durham Local 985 North East 23,379 Yes — 3. Presents large savings potential including clustering. 
			 Notes: Cost per place information is based on 2009-10 data. Lindholme maintenance costs are low until final two years. Castington maintenance data is forthcoming, as part of due diligence to be undertaken on whole package.

Prison: Standards

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department or its agencies have for the future of HMP Brockhill and its surrounding estate; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The closure of the Brockhill part of Hewell prison, is an important part of the Ministry of Justice's drive for greater efficiency by ensuring a modern, fit-for-purpose prison estate that can deliver high quality, cost-effective and secure regimes. This part of Hewell is in need of costly remedial work in the next 12 months, which is not currently financially viable.
	A project team will work with the prison to begin the closure process. Once all prisoners and staff have left the Brockhill site it will be decommissioned. The Ministry is considering options for the disposal of the site and will seek to ensure it achieves best value for the taxpayer.

Prisoners: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that prisoners from Wales are able to access Welsh and Welsh-language television and radio programmes when held in prisons outside Wales;
	(2)  what (a) educational, (b) recreational and (c) other information produced for sentenced or remanded prisoners is available in (i) a Welsh language version and (ii) foreign languages.

Crispin Blunt: It is recognised that access to Welsh language television and radio is culturally important for Welsh speaking prisoners.
	Prisoners on standard or enhanced level of the incentives and earned privileges scheme are eligible for access to in-cell television where available. Some prisons offer access to Welsh channels through digital TV or online. In prisons where these facilities are not available Welsh subtitles may be provided via teletext.
	Prisoners in England may access Welsh radio where there is a signal, and with increasing digital capability access can be possible via the internet or television where available. There is currently no requirement for prison radio stations in England to broadcast in Welsh.
	A National Offender Management Service Welsh Language Scheme has been drafted and will shortly be issued for consultation. The scheme will set the direction for the service in terms of access to the Welsh language, setting out what is possible within the constraints of the secure environment of a prison.
	NOMS is committed to providing a fair service to all offenders. Where particular language needs are identified upon induction or raised by prisoners during their sentence, efforts are made to accommodate these. Some local and national prison documents, such as induction materials, are already available in a number of languages, including Welsh. When the need arises for additional material, prisons are able to access translation services. Within prison libraries there are reading materials and other recreational materials available in a variety of languages, including Welsh. The range and number of publications in different languages will differ according to the population of the prison.
	The National Offender Management Service Welsh Language Scheme—shortly to be issued for consultation—will clarify the requirements on prisons in England and Wales to provide educational, recreational and other information in Welsh.

Prisoners: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place in prisons to provide Welsh language support for religious needs of prisoners.

Crispin Blunt: Chaplaincy teams in prisons in Wales are committed to meeting the religious needs of all prisoners, including through the Welsh language. All teams have access to Christian clergy who are able to conduct worship in Welsh. For other religions, networks exist to enable a relevant minister to be found. Chaplaincy leaflets setting out the programme of activities are produced in Welsh.
	Provision for Welsh speaking prisoners held in prisons in England will be made on an as needs basis, as for prisoners who require religious provision in any other language.

Prisoners: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Welsh-speaking prisoners are held in each institution in England and Wales; and how many of these are (a) sentenced adult male prisoners, (b) remanded adult male prisoners, (c) sentenced women prisoners, (d) remanded women prisoners, (e) sentenced young offenders and (f) remanded young prisoners.

Crispin Blunt: This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The facility exists within Prison-NOMIS (National Offender Management Information System) to record a prisoner's preferred language (spoken and written), but completion of the relevant field is not mandatory. The proportion of records completed in relation to preferred language is very low and of insufficient quality to make any estimate of the number of Welsh-speaking prisoners.
	As part of the ongoing business support for the Prison-NOMIS application, establishments will continue to be reminded that non-mandatory fields should where possible hold information. It should be recognised, however, that this information is not a requisite for the reception and management of a prisoner.
	It would entail disproportionate cost to request each prison to undertake a manual exercise to establish the number of Welsh-speakers held in their establishments and to break this down further as requested.

Prisons: Anaerobic Digestion

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has plans to encourage the production of energy from prison waste through anaerobic digestion.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does encourage the production of energy from prison waste using a range of available technologies, including anaerobic digestion (AD). For example, an AD plant is in operation at Guys Marsh prison and the resultant bio-energy used to run a generator that supplements the power supply to the prison's kitchen complex and greenhouse. Additionally, the new prison being constructed at Featherstone, Staffordshire, will also incorporate a small-scale AD plant producing energy to supplement normal provision.
	The Prison Service has had for some time, robust waste management practices embedded within prisons' day-to-day operations with the primary objective of minimising waste. Therefore, volumes of organic waste generated are, in most cases, insufficient to warrant the considerable capital outlay required for AD plant. Where prisons are identified as having a need for a sustainable solution for organic waste disposal, locally available facilities, such as AD or sealed container composting, are considered within the mix of responsible waste disposal options. For example, the new prison being constructed at Featherstone, Staffordshire, will incorporate a small-scale AD plant producing energy to supplement normal provision.

Prisons: Health Professions

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's minimum standards are for the ratio of (a) general practitioners, (b) registered mental health nurses and (c) registered general nurses to inmates in privately-run prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: There are no nationally set minimum standards for the ratio of medical work force to prisoners in private prisons. The medical work force deployed is dependant on the establishment's health needs assessment of the prisoners.

Prisons: Health Professions

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio is of health care professionals to inmates in each privately-run prison in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: NOMS does not collect information concerning the number of health care professionals that work in private prisons. It would incur a disproportionate cost in order to collect this information in order to be able to give a ratio of health care professionals to prisoners.

Prisons: Personal Income

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) financial education and (b) assistance with personal finance is provided in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) works closely with DWP, the Money Advice Service, Unlock, the Legal Services Commission, CAB and others to ensure that financial management skills feature in a range of courses and other interventions available to prisoners.
	On reception into custody, prisoners, including those on remand pending sentence, are helped and encouraged to take action to ensure that their financial affairs are placed in as stable a position as possible while they remain in custody. NOMS is working with Unlock and the major retail banks to make it easier for prisoners to obtain banking facilities. At governors' discretion, offenders in custody are permitted to carry out certain financial transactions to facilitate resettlement on release.

Prisons: Smoking

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to revise his policy on smoking in prisons in line with his duties as an employer under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to protect prison officers from second-hand smoke.

Crispin Blunt: It is the policy of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) that prisoners over 18 are permitted to smoke in single cells or cells shared with smokers. This is in accordance with the Health Act 2006, which exempts prisoner cells from being smoke-free on the basis that a prisoner's cell is deemed to be their home.
	However, NOMS recognises the potential risk to staff from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and has issued guidance to staff on entering cells where a prisoner is, or has been, smoking. The guidance, if properly followed, minimises the risks of exposure to ETS by allowing sufficient ventilation of the cell before staff enter.
	NOMS continues to keep this guidance under review, as it does with all health and safety matters, to ensure that the safety and health of staff is maintained and improved wherever possible.

Prisons: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services (England and Wales), 
	(1)  what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into ways of reducing reoffending; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the delivery of programmes by service providers on rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has commissioned a wide range of research and assessment on reducing reoffending and the delivery of programmes which aim to rehabilitate offenders. Evaluation is conducted on a case-by-case basis.
	Recent reports from the Ministry of Justice research programme can be found on the Ministry of Justice website via the following internet link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/index.htm

Remand in Custody: Children

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of children held in custody on remand were subsequently (a) acquitted and (b) given a community sentence in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The number and proportion of children remanded in custody at all courts in England and Wales who were subsequently acquitted or went on to receive a community sentence during 2010 (latest currently available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
	
		
			 The estimated number and percentage of juveniles  (1)   remanded in custody  (2)   who were subsequently acquitted  (3)   or received a non-custodial sentence  (4)   at magistrates courts and the Crown court, England and Wales 2010 
			 Final outcome Juveniles Percentage of juveniles  (6) 
			 Magistrates courts(5)   
			 Acquitted 623 32 
			 Immediate custody 497 26 
			 Non-custodial 802 42 
			 Of which:   
			 Community sentence 486 25 
			    
			 Crown court   
			 Acquitted 187 18 
			 Immediate custody 664 64 
			 Non-custodial 190 18 
		
	
	
		
			 Of which:   
			 Community sentence 139 13 
			 (1) Defined as being aged 10 to 17 at the date of appearance in court. (2) Includes those remanded in custody at any stage of proceedings at magistrates and the Crown court who may also have been given bail at some stage of those proceedings. (3) Acquitted includes proceedings discontinued, discharged, withdrawn and dismissed at magistrates courts and acquitted and not tried at the Crown court. (4) Non-custodial sentences include discharges, fines, community sentences, and a number of other sentences that do not involve incarceration. (5) Magistrates courts figures exclude those committed for trial or sentence at the Crown court and those who failed to appear. (6) Percentages presented here represent the proportions of all juveniles who were remanded in custody, excluding those who failed to appear and where the magistrates court committed the defendant for trial or sentence to the Crown court. Notes: 1. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 2. Some percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice

Reoffenders

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for repeat offenders there were in (a) the south-east, (b) Kent and (c) Chatham and Aylesford constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Crispin Blunt: The table presents information on number of sentencing occasions for indictable offences for offenders dealt with by police forces in the south-east and by Kent police force in each year between 2001 and 2010, and the number and proportion of offenders who had at least one previous conviction or caution. The equivalent figures for Chatham and Aylesford constituency are not available as the data source used by the MOJ does not enable us to identify offenders who are resident in this area.
	The figures are derived from the data used for chapter 7 of 'Criminal Justice Statistics: Quarterly updated to December 2010' which was published on 26 May 2011. The full report can be found at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-stats-quarterly-dec10.pdf
	The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Number of sentencing occasions for indictable offences for offenders  (1)   deal  t with by police forces in the south-e  ast region and in Kent, 2001-10, and the number involving offenders with previous convictions or cautions 
			 Sentencing occasions 
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 South-east region(2)           
			 All offenders 34,571 35,404 35,497 34,495 34,846 34,196 35,958 38,681 38,578 39,921 
			 Of which:           
			 Repeat offenders 30,320 31,515 31,465 30,656 31,144 30,438 32,106 34,714 34,712 35,900 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage 87.7 89.0 88.6 88.9 89.4 89.0 89.3 89.7 90.0 89.9 
			            
			 Kent(3)           
			 All offenders 7,957 8,202 8,386 7,517 6,973 6,713 7,143 7,664 7,835 8,239 
			 Of which:           
			 Repeat offenders 6,948 7,273 7,243 6,597 6,173 5,929 6,328 6,783 6,967 7,370 
			 Percentage 87.3 88.7 86.4 87.8 88.5 88.3 88.6 88.5 88.9 89.5 
			 (1) An offender may be counted more than once if he or she has been sentenced on more than one occasion during the period. The repeat offenders figures are counts of sentencing occasions for offenders who had at least one previous caution or conviction. (2) The figures are counts of sentencing occasions for offences dealt with by police forces in the south-east region and includes some offenders living outside the south-east. (3) The figures are counts of sentencing occasions for offences dealt with by Kent police force and includes some offenders living outside Kent.

Repossession Orders

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders for the repossession of homes in each ward in Dartford constituency were issued in each year between 1998 and 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following tables show the numbers of claims leading to orders being made for the repossession of property in each ward in Dartford constituency by mortgage lenders in each year since 2000 and landlords in each year since 2003. Data for previous years are not available due to the lack of valid postcodes.
	These figures represent the numbers of claims leading to orders being made. This is more accurate than the number of orders, removing the double-counting of instances where a single claim leads to more than one order. It is also a more meaningful measure of the number of homeowners who are subject to court repossession actions.
	These figures do not indicate how many properties have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order, such as where borrowers hand the keys back to the lender. Also, not all possession orders result in repossession. Many orders are suspended and if the borrower complies with the repayment arrangements set out in the suspended order the property will not be repossessed.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of mortgage  (1)   possession claims which have led to an order being made  (2,3,4,5)   in the wards of Dartford parliamentary constituency  (6,7)  , 2000-10  (8) 
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Bean and Darenth — — — — — 10 10 15 10 — — 
			 Brent — — — — — 10 10 15 10 10 10 
			 Castle — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Greenhithe — — — — 10 20 35 25 20 20 10 
			 Hartley and Hodsoll Street — — — — 10 — — — 19 — — 
			 Heath — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Joyce Green — — — — — 10 10 10 10 10 — 
			 Joydens Wood — — — — — 10 15 20 15 10 — 
			 Littlebrook — 10 — — — — — — — 10 10 
			 Longfield, New Barn and Southfleet — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Newtown 15 10 — 10 15 15 15 15 25 20 15 
			 Princes — — — 10 10 10 20 15 15 10 10 
			 Stone — — — — 10 10 15 15 15 10 10 
			 Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley — — — — — — — — 10 — — 
			 Swanscornbe — 10 — 10 10 15 20 20 20 20 10 
			 Town — — — — — 15 15 15 10 10 — 
			 West Hill 10 — — — — 10 15 10 10 — 10 
			 Wilmington — — — — — — — — — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Dartford constituency total 95 80 70 75 125 170 230 195 195 155 125 
			 (1) The mortgage data include all types of lenders. (2) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (3) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (4) The mortgage possession figures do not indicate how many houses have actually been repossessed through the courts. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made while not all court orders result in repossession. (5) The number of claims that lead to an order includes all claims in which the first order, whether outright or suspended, is mad during the period. 6 The figures from 2000 up until the first quarter of 2010 (January to March) reflect the ward boundaries as of August 2009 and for the reset of 2010 the restructured ward boundaries as of August 2010. (7) When interpreting these statistics please be mindful that the sum of the figures for the wards may be different to the total for Dartford constituency due to rounding and also because the ward boundaries may have been revised after the constituency boundaries have been fixed at the time of each general election. (8) All figures are rounded to the nearest five and those with a value fellow eight are represented as ‘—’. Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of landlord  (1,2 )  possession claims which have led to an order being made  (3,4,5,6)   in the wards of Dartford parliamentary constituency  (7,8)   2003-10  (9) 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Bean and Darenth — — — — — — — 10 
			 Brent — — — — — — — — 
			 Castle — — — — — — — — 
			 Greenhithe — — — — 15 — 10 15 
			 Hartley and Hodsoll Street — — — — — — — — 
			 Heath — — — — — — — — 
			 Joyce Green 10 10 — 10 10 20 20 20 
			 Joydens Wood — — 10 — — — — — 
			 Littlebrook — 10 — 15 — 15 10 10 
			 Longfield, New Barn and Southfleet — — — — — — — — 
			 Newtown — 10 — — 10 10 15 10 
			 Princes 10 10 15 10 — — 10 20 
			 Stone 10 10 10 15 15 10 15 15 
			 Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley — — — — — — — — 
			 Swanscornbe 15 15 10 25 10 20 25 25 
			 Town — 10 10 10 — — 10 — 
			 West Hill — — — — — — — — 
			 Wilmington — — — — — — — — 
			          
			 Dartford constituency total 90 105 90 115 110 105 150 160 
			 (1) The landlord data include all types of landlord whether social or private. (2) Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enable the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence for shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (3) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (4) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (5) The landlord possession figures do not indicate how many houses have actually been repossessed through the courts. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made while not all court orders result in repossession. (6) The number of claims that lead to an order includes all claims in which the first order, whether outright or suspended, is made during the period. (7) The figures from 2000 up until the first quarter of 2010 (January to March) reflect the ward boundaries as of August 2009 and for the rest of 2010 the restructured ward boundaries as of August 2010. (8) When interpreting these statistics please be mindful that the sum of the figures for the wards may be different to the total for Dartford constituency due to rounding and also because the ward boundaries may have been revised after the constituency boundaries have been fixed at the time of each general election. (9) All figures are rounded to the nearest five and those with a value below eight are represented as ‘—’. Source: Ministry of Justice

Sentencing: Appeals

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many court cases a defendant who pleaded guilty subsequently appealed against the sentence passed in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice holds statistical information in relation to the number of appeals received against sentences dealt with in the Crown court and the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. However, the central administrative databases for both courts do not store information concerning the plea of appellants in the original case. To obtain this information would require the manual inspection of court files held locally, which would incur disproportionate cost.
	Statistics are published on the number of appeals received and dealt with against sentences in England and Wales, from 2006 to 2010, in the Ministry of Justice's statistical bulletin “Judicial and Court Statistics”, the most recent edition of which was published on 30 June 2011. The number of appeals against sentences dealt with in the Crown court can be found in table 4.10 and those dealt with in the Court of Appeal in table 7.6. The report is available on the Ministry's website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-annual.htm

Sexual Offences Act 2003

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in each local authority area have been (a) charged and (b) convicted under section (i) 8(1), (ii) 8(2), (iii) 8(3), (iv) 10, (v) 14, (vi) 15, (vii) 48, (viii) 49 and (ix) 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since the Act came into force.

Crispin Blunt: A table of data showing the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts, for offences under sections 8, 10, 14, 15, 48, 49 and 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, by police force area, in England and Wales, from 2004 (commencement of the Act) to 2010 (latest available) has been placed in the House Library.
	Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Prosecutions data are provided instead. Centrally held court proceedings data are not available at local authority area level and hence data have been provided by police force area.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring 2012.

Stalking: Harassment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to give probation trusts a duty to ensure that persons convicted of stalking and harassment are given a treatment programme.

Crispin Blunt: There are no plans. Probation Trusts are statutorily responsible for the supervision and management of offenders in the community who are subject to community orders, suspended sentence orders and who are released on licence.
	The role of Probation Trusts includes the provision of accredited offending behaviour programmes and other interventions when included as a requirement of a community order or a licence in appropriate cases, including those convicted of stalking and/or harassment.

Suicide

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of websites promoting suicide; what assessment he has made of the trends in the number of such websites in the last five years; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such research.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of websites promoting suicide.

Victim Support Schemes: Human Trafficking

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases were referred to the Salvation Army's new trafficking victim support scheme; and by whom between 7 and 14 July 2011.

Crispin Blunt: Between 7 and 14 July, six individuals were referred to the government-funded support service for adult victims of trafficking, which is run by the Salvation Army. The referrals were made by police, charities and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Victim Support Schemes: Human Trafficking

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the nationality was of each of the suspected victims of trafficking referred to in the Salvation Army's new trafficking victim support scheme between 7 and 14 July 2011; in which region each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to the Salvation Army.

Crispin Blunt: The following table sets out the information requested.
	
		
			 Nationality Region Referring agency 
			 Slovakian South East Charity (Kent Community Organisation) 
			 Vietnamese West Midlands Social Services (Youth Justice) 
			 UK West Midlands Police 
			 Irish West Midlands Police 
			 Romanian West Midlands Health services 
			 Slovakian North West Police 
			 Czech North West Police 
			 Lithuanian Yorkshire Police 
			 Lithuanian Yorkshire Police 
			 Nigerian South East Charity (NIA project) 
			 Czech South East Police 
			 Sierra Leonean South East Police 
			 Vietnamese East Midlands Crown Prosecution Service

Young Offenders: Basic Skills

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what schemes his Department has put in place to offer life skills to young offenders.

Crispin Blunt: Legislation in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 made local authorities responsible for securing suitable education and training for young people aged 10-17 in custody. This came into effect on 1 September 2010. The Act also contains duties on “home” local authorities to “take such steps as they consider appropriate to promote the person's fulfilment of his or her learning potential” while they are in custody, and to share information about the young person's education and any special educational needs they may have.
	The delivery of youth justice in the community is devolved to local authority youth offending teams. A statutory function of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) is to identify, make known and promote effective practice in youth justice. To this end the YJB published updated key elements of effective practice documents in 2008. These include the following themes: accommodation, planning, interventions and supervision, education, training and employment. Youth justice services are encouraged to make use of these documents in the design and delivery of their interventions.
	Learning and skills for prisoners aged over 18 is jointly commissioned by the Skills Funding Agency and the National Offender Management Service—this includes social and life skills courses within the public sector secure estate in England for young offenders aged 18 to 20 years of age. The range of accredited courses offered is based upon assessed individual learning need. Some of the courses on offer include Preparation for Work; Assertiveness and Decision Making; Family Relationships; Budgeting and Money Management and Personal Development.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish the advice received by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the basis of which the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation was referred to Ofcom on plurality grounds only.

Vincent Cable: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department has published a significant amount of the advice that I received in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This can be found at the following link:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/site/foi/information-released
	However, some of the most sensitive advice was withheld under various exemptions provided for under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and I am satisfied that it should continue to be so.

EDUCATION

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department's financial records show that since May 2010 there has been no payments for any subscriptions to Sky TV.

Cultural Education Review

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the Henley Review of Cultural Education to report.

Nick Gibb: Darren Henley's Review of Cultural Education is due to report this autumn.

Departmental Manpower

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff his Department employed in (a) May 2010 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The headcount for the Department in May 2010 was 2,622 (2,504 full-time equivalent (FTE)). The latest published headcount figure available (as at 31 July) is 2,585 (2,465.4 FTE).
	For the Education Family workforce (the Department and its arm’s length bodies) the total headcount has reduced from 9,522 in May 2010 to 8,080 in 30 June 2011 (latest published information).

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010;
	(2)  on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010;
	(3)  if he will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), meets hon. Members of different political parties in a variety of forums which go beyond the meetings arranged by the Department for Education. Therefore, to provide the hon. Gentleman with accurate details of the number of meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010 would incur disproportionate cost.
	It is always the wish of the Secretary of State for Education, and the rest of his ministerial team, wherever possible, to accept any meeting request from an hon. Member, irrespective of the political party to which they belong. Regrettably, due to diary pressures and business needs, it is not always possible to accommodate all meeting requests. To obtain accurate details of declined meeting requests would also incur disproportionate cost.
	As there is no requirement for Departments to hold details of the number of meetings declined, there are no plans to collect this information or be able to release it in the future.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from the Access to Education Advocate on abolition of the education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: Between the date of his appointment, in December 2010, and the announcement of the 16-19 Bursary Fund in March 2011, the Advocate for Access to Education met regularly with Department for Education Ministers and officials to discuss financial support for young people. We took account of his work in designing the new 16-19 Bursary Fund, which schools and colleges will be able to use to support those students who most need financial assistance to continue in education or training post-16.

Education: Assessments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures are in place to ensure examination boards adhere strictly to Ofqual's code of practice regarding the role of scrutineers in the setting of exams.

Nick Gibb: Glenys Stacey, Ofqual's chief executive has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of the reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Glenys Stacey, dated 26 August 2011
	I am responding to your parliamentary question raised in respect of measures in place to ensure examinations boards adhere to our Code of Practice regarding the role of scrutineers in the setting of exams. You will be aware that the Secretary of State has asked Ofqual to respond to this question.
	I can confirm that Ofqual and the regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland jointly publish the GCSE, GCE, Principal Learning and Project Code of Practice (all of these are available on Ofqual's website for download). The Code states that:
	1.11 The scrutineer is responsible for:
	i. checking the final drafts of all question papers/tasks without reference to the mark schemes to ensure that the questions can be answered in the time allowed and that there are no errors and omissions;
	ii. working through question papers, where appropriate;
	iii. checking the mark scheme to ensure that the marks given are identical to those on the question paper;
	iv. preparing a report for the awarding organisation officer.
	Awarding organisations are responsible for following this Code of Practice. As part of Ofqual's regular monitoring work, various aspects of the Code are checked on the basis of risk, bearing in mind the need for our monitoring work to be proportionate.
	Should awarding organisations not follow the Code of Practice, appropriate action in line with our legislative powers is put into place. This could include removal of awarding organisation status or removal of accreditation for the particular qualification. Any action taken is based on evidence and is particular to the issue being considered.
	As you will also be aware, Ofqual have been alerted to concerns about examination errors in advance of and during the live examinations this summer. As a result of our concern regarding awarding organisation compliance to the Code of Practice, you will be aware that we have launched our Inquiry into examination errors and we have already invited you to submit evidence to the Inquiry if you wish. The Inquiry will take into account information and views we have already received from sources including candidates, schools and colleges, parents and student representatives and will also be gathering information from a list of interested and concerned stakeholders such as yourself.
	It is intended that we will complete the Inquiry and publish our report by the end of the year.
	I hope this information answers your query. However, if you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Financial Services: Education

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the level of financial education in schools.

Nick Gibb: Ofsted’s most recent inspection report on personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, published in July 2010, was based on visits to 165 schools between September 2006 and July 2009. Ofsted found that the economic well-being and financial capability strand (introduced in September 2008) was still in its early stages and that achievement in this area was less strong than in other areas of PSHE. However, they also found that students in schools that were successfully delivering personal finance education showed a good understanding of personal finance, used financial terms correctly and were able to apply their knowledge in making financial decisions.
	The report can be found at
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/personal-social-health-and-economic-education-schools
	An internal review of PSHE education was launched on 21 July 2011. Its aim is to determine how to support schools to improve the quality of PSHE teaching, while giving teachers the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver PSHE education. Details can he found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index. cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1759& external=no&menu=1

Forced Marriage

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Eighth Report of the Home Affairs Committee, Session 2010-12, on Forced Marriage, HC 880, paragraph 27, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools and academies effectively and appropriately respond to young women at risk of forced marriage.

Tim Loughton: The Government provide considerable support to safeguard children from the risk of forced marriage, which is a serious form of child abuse. The joint Home Office/Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), which was launched in January 2005, provides advice to teachers in schools. The FMU produced statutory guidance on forced marriage in 2008 (revised 2010); revised multi-agency practice guidelines on handling cases of forced marriage in 2009; and supplementary guidelines on handling cases of forced marriage involving persons with learning disabilities in 2010. In addition to these guidance documents which are targeted at frontline practitioners and volunteers, the FMU provide a helpline to support victims and potential victims of forced marriage.
	The Government firmly believe that schools are best placed to assess which materials or strategies might be useful to help children who may be vulnerable to forced marriage. All schools have clear responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils. The inter-agency guidance, “Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010)” and guidance to schools and FE colleges, “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education (2006)” set out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

Free School Meals

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on allowing local authorities to provide automatic entitlement to free school meals for eligible pupils without recourse to a separate application; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: It is not possible to provide automatic entitlement to free school meals (FSM) for eligible pupils. Until a request for FSM is made, a school or local authority would not know which pupils were from households receiving an eligible benefit, and are therefore entitled to FSM.
	As set out in legislation, eligibility for FSM is reliant on two things: (1) the parent (or child) being in receipt of one of the eligible benefits; and (2) a request for FSM being made by the parent or child.
	Without the provision of personal information, either paper proof of receipt of benefits or personal information to enable a check to be made using the Online Free School Meal Eligibility Checking Service (ECS), there would be no way to identify eligible pupils.
	The ECS reduces the burdens on schools associated with FSM administration, makes it much easier for parents to apply for FSM and reduces the stigma that can be associated with applying for them.

Free School Meals

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals who take up their entitlement; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to increasing take-up of free school meals (FSM) for those pupils who are entitled to them.
	The Department has streamlined the process for applying for free school meals by developing an online eligibility checking system (ECS). This allows local authorities to quickly check data held by other Government Departments (DWP, HMRC and the Home Office) to establish a family's eligibility for free school meals. We are working with local authorities to increase the use of this resource which, as well as reducing bureaucracy and cost for local authorities, is also encouraging more parents to sign up their children for a free school lunch. For those authorities that choose to use it, the ECS has a service which allows parents to check their own eligibility and to apply on line for FSM.
	The Government have also commissioned the School Food Trust to carry out further work to improve the take-up of healthy school food, and specifically to increase take-up of free school meals to ensure children from the most deprived families receive at least one good meal a day.
	The trust will also continue its ongoing work to provide advice, support and resources to help schools and local authorities increase free school meal registration and take-up. In particular, the trust's free school meal support project will provide support and resources to schools in deprived areas to help increase free school meal registration and take-up. The project will initially target those schools with a significant gap between free school eligibility and take-up, working with them to improve registration; for example, by increasing online free school meal applications.

GCE A Level

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils achieving A-level grades of AAB or higher were from each (a) socio-economic and (b) ethnic group in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: It is not possible to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost. These data are not readily available on the National Pupil Database (NPD) in a pre-defined form, and would need to be calculated, processed and merged onto the NPD. This analysis and the time needed to quality assure the results could be completed only at a disproportionate cost. Data on socio economic status are not available.

Higher Education

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the proportion of GDP attributable to (a) graduates and (b) university teaching.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
	We do not have estimates of impact on GDP of either graduates or university teaching specifically.
	Universities UK have produced a series of reports on the impact of the higher education (HE) sector as a whole on the UK economy. Their most recent report(1) estimated that in the academic year 2007/08, in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA), the HE sector contributed over £31 billion to UK GDP as a result of both direct and indirect effects. This approximates to around 2.5% of GDP at that time.
	Other research has looked at the positive impact that graduates can have on a country's growth; for example, a 1996 study found that a 1% increase in tertiary human capital stock growth was estimated to be associated with a 1.1 percentage point increase in GDP growth rates in OECD countries(2).
	(1) The Impact of Universities on the UK economy: 4th Report, UUK (2009).
	(2 )Gemmell, N. (1996), “Evaluating the impact of human capital stocks and accumulation on economic growth: some new evidence”, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 58, 9-28.

Intellectual Property: Education

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will issue guidance to schools on the teaching of intellectual property law.

Nick Gibb: We have no plans to issue guidance on intellectual property law to schools. We are currently reviewing the national curriculum in a way that is consistent with our aim of reducing the amount of central Government prescription about what happens in the classroom. Decisions about future guidance to schools relating to the subjects they should teach will be made following that review.
	At present, pupils learn about our overarching system of law and justice as part of the citizenship programme of study. Artistic and intellectual copyright is covered in the music curriculum, where it arises in relation to pupils' and others' compositions, and to music piracy.

Languages: Teachers

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of teachers of (a) French, (b) German and (c) Mandarin that will be required by schools by 2015.

Nick Gibb: The number of teachers that schools employ in future years will, as now, be a matter for them to decide, according to local needs and subject to statutory requirements on class sizes where appropriate. For funding purposes, the Department has produced overall estimates of teaching posts in state schools and academies in England.
	The Government do not produce estimates for the future numbers of teaching posts in particular subjects. Estimates for the proportion of teachers working in secondary schools who will be qualified in different subjects are however produced as part of the Department for Education's teacher supply and demand modelling process.
	Estimates for the future number of specialist modern language teachers in state funded secondary schools indicate that there will need to be an increase of about 600 by 2015. This is in the context of an expected decrease in the overall number of secondary teachers as a result of the ongoing decline in secondary pupil numbers.
	Separate forecasts have not been made for each type of language teacher. For the purposes of teacher supply modelling, all modern languages are treated as one subject category.
	Information on the qualifications and deployment of teachers in the secondary sector was collected in the annual School Workforce Census, which took place in November 2010 for the first time. The number of teachers reported to be teaching modern languages in November 2010 is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Number (headcount) of modern language teachers  (1)   in all publicly funded secondary schools. Position in November 2010: Coverage: England 
			 Subject Headcount of in-service teachers Of these, teachers holding a relevant  (2)   post A-level qualification 
			 All modern languages 19,000 15,200 
			 Of which:   
			 French 14,700 11,300 
			 German 5,700 3,900 
			 Spanish 6,400 3,400 
			 Other modern languages 3,300 1,100 
			 (1) Teachers were counted once against each subject that they were teaching, regardless of the amount of time they spend teaching the subject. (2) A full list of what was deemed as a 'relevant' qualification subject for each curriculum subject taught can be found on the School Workforce Statistical First Release website. (3) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. Base: 158,004 teachers to years 7-13 (unweighted headcount) Source: School Workforce Census 
		
	
	The number of teachers delivering sessions in Mandarin is not collected centrally. There are currently no initial teacher training courses which specialise in Mandarin only.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to assist schools to identify and support girls at risk of (a) relationship abuse, (b) rape, (c) forced marriage, (d) sexual harassment, (e) female genital mutilation and (f) other violence;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that students affected by (a) relationship abuse, (b) rape, (c) forced marriage, (d) sexual harassment and (e) female genital mutilation have access to specialist support in schools;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to young people who are not in formal education who are affected by violence against women and girls, including (a) relationship abuse, (b) rape, (c) forced marriage, (d) sexual harassment and (e) female genital mutilation to access specialist support.

Tim Loughton: The Government provide considerable support to assist schools in identifying and supporting pupils at risk of abuse. All schools have clear responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils. The Government believe that schools are best placed to assess which materials or strategies might be useful to help their pupils, who may be vulnerable to particular types of harm.
	The Department for Education works closely with the Home Office, Department of Health and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on these issues. Together we have produced a number of multi-agency guidelines for a broad range of practitioners to help them when working with young people who are affected by these forms of abuse, whether or not they are in formal education. The Government have also committed to developing an action plan to tackle child sexual exploitation to be published in the autumn.
	In addition, the inter-agency guidance, “Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010)” and guidance to schools and FE colleges, “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education (2006)” set out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. These documents act as signposts to other guidance about specific forms of abuse.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure that primary schools and secondary maintained schools and academies provide education for students on (a) relationship abuse, (b) rape, (c) forced marriage, (d) sexual harassment and (e) female genital mutilation.

Nick Gibb: The personal well-being strand of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education provides a framework for schools to teach about these issues as part of sex and relationships education (SRE).
	The Department's guidance, to which all schools must have regard in their teaching of SRE, sets out how SRE should prepare young people for adult life. It includes, for example, developing positive values and a moral framework; understanding the consequences of their actions and behaving responsibly within relationships; knowing how the law applies to sexual relationships; and avoiding exploitation and pressure.
	Schools will teach a range of issues within SRE, and teaching professionals can be trusted to make appropriate judgments about how best to meet the needs of their pupils. Schools need to have the flexibility to decide on such matters for themselves so that they take account of the views of parents, and reflect the ethos of the school and the nature of the local community.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to provide education for young people who are not in formal education on violence against women and girls, including (a) relationship abuse, (b) rape, (c) forced marriage, (d) sexual harassment and (e) female genital mutilation.

Nick Gibb: It is the responsibility of the local authority or school that has commissioned alternative provision for a pupil to determine the details of what should be covered in the curriculum for that pupil. Where a pupil has behavioural problems, and more particularly where they have a history of violence, the school or local authority may decide that it is appropriate for them to have Personal, Social and Health Education lessons and that those lessons should include these issues.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons his Department is conducting its review of personal, social, health and economic education and sex and relationships education separately from its review of the national curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The review of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, including sex and relationship education, is being carried out separately from the national curriculum review because PSHE education is not a national curriculum subject. Both reviews share our aim to free up teachers, giving them greater control over what is taught and allowing them the scope to design and teach a curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the views of interested parties are considered as part of its review of personal, social, health and economic education and sex and relationships education.

Nick Gibb: As part of its review of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, the Department will consult with a number of interested parties including campaign groups, subject associations, voluntary bodies, teachers and parents. Written evidence to the review can be submitted via the DfE consultation website at:
	www.education.gov.uk/consultations

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Government's document entitled Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls, page 12, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that all schools participate in achieving the Government's objective of improving the teaching of sexual consent within the curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The personal well-being strand of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education provides a framework for schools to teach about sexual consent as part of sex and relationships education (SRE).
	We are conducting an internal review of PSHE education to look at how schools can be supported to improve the quality of all PSHE teaching, including strengthening the priority of the teaching of sexual consent.
	Details of the review can be found at:
	www.education.gov.uk/consultations

Postgraduate Education

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of students educated at (a) independent and (b) maintained schools who will graduate from PGCE courses in (i) 2012, (ii) 2013 and (iii) 2014.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not available.

Postgraduate Education: Fees and Charges

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on tuition fees for PGCE courses in core subjects within the English Baccalaureate in each of the next three years.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has recently published its strategy for initial teacher training, ‘Training Our Next Generation of Outstanding Teachers’, which was agreed with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. The strategy contains proposals for the funding of initial teacher training courses from 2012/13 onwards, including for subjects in the English Baccalaureate. The Department for Education is proposing bursaries of up to £20,000 in 2012/13 to encourage the best graduates into teaching and support them during their training. The most generous bursaries are in mathematics, science and modern languages, which are core English Baccalaureate subjects. A copy of the strategy has been placed in the House Libraries.

Pupil Exclusions

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children were (a) temporarily and (b) permanently excluded in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Information on the proportion of pupils with permanent and fixed period exclusions by local authority in 2009/10 is published in tables 17 and 18 of the Statistical First Release ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2009/10’ available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001016/index.shtml
	Information on the proportion of pupils with permanent and fixed period exclusions by local authority in 2008/09 is published in tables 17 and 18 of the Statistical First Release ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2008/09’ available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000942/index.shtml
	Information on the proportion of pupils with permanent and fixed period exclusions by local authority in 2007/08 is published in tables 17 and 18 of the Statistical First Release ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2007/08’ available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000860/index.shtml
	Information on the proportion of pupils with permanent and fixed period exclusions by local authority in 2006/07 is published in tables 12 and 13 of the Statistical First Release ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2006/07’ available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000793/index.shtml
	Information on the proportion of pupils with permanent and fixed period exclusions by local authority in 2005/06 is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England 2005/06’ available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000733/index.shtml
	Information on fixed period exclusions in 2005/06 is available for secondary schools only.

Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children with statements of special education needs were (a) temporarily excluded and (b) permanently excluded in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.

Runaway Children

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the Young Runaways Action Plan.

Tim Loughton: There are no plans to review the Young Runaways Action Plan, which was published by the previous Government in June 2008.
	I have, however, already committed to reviewing the statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care, which provides the main framework for local responses to these issues. The Department is also leading on the development of an action plan for tackling child sexual exploitation, which will be published in the autumn. That action plan will take full account of the strong link between children going missing and children suffering from sexual exploitation.

Rural Areas

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether officials of his Department have had recent discussions with the Rural Communities Policy Unit in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Nick Gibb: Yes, officials of this Department have had recent discussions with the Rural Communities Policy Unit in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Schools: Assessments

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils (a) entered mainly CSE examinations, (b) entered mainly GCE O-Level examinations and (c) entered no public examinations in the fifth year or year 11 in each year since 1981.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not available.

Schools: Standards

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the school league tables for (a) GCSE and (b) A levels by individual examination board in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Schools: Transport

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received regarding changes to home to school transportation schemes.

Tim Loughton: The Department regularly receives correspondence from parents, local authorities, dioceses and other stakeholder groups regarding changes to home to school transport. A working group drawn from local authorities and diocese representatives has met on a number of occasions to take forward the remit of the review.

Teachers: English Baccalaureate

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of teachers trained to teach English baccalaureate subjects.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 18 July 2011
	Information on the qualifications and deployment of teachers in the secondary sector is collected in the new School Workforce Census, which took place in November 2010. The School Workforce Census Statistical First Release provides a head count of teachers to year groups 7 to 13 by subject in Table 12 and the proportions of teachers with a relevant post A-level qualification in the subjects they taught to year groups 7 to 13, split by subject, in Table 13.
	The following table summarises the number of teachers of English baccalaureate subjects, and the proportion with a relevant post A-level qualification in the subject taught:
	
		
			 Teachers of English baccalaureate subjects  (1)   in publicly-funded secondary schools (head count) to year groups 7 to 13 in 2010, and the proportions with a relevant post A-level qualification  (2, 3 )  in the subject, November 2010, England 
			 Subject  (1) Total head count (thousand) Any relevant   post A level qualification 3 (p  ercentage) 
			 Mathematics 33.0 74.0 
			 English 36.6 79.6 
			 Combined/general science(4) 33.3 88.6 
			 Physics(4) 5.6 68.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 6.7 72.7 
			 Biology(4) 8.4 88.4 
			    
			 History 15.0 75.5 
			 Geography 13.5 72.0 
			    
			 French 14.7 76.6 
			 German 5.7 68.5 
			 Spanish 6.4 53.2 
		
	
	
		
			 Other modern languages 3.3 33.5 
			    
			 Classics(5) 0.6 48.3 
			 (1) Teachers are counted once against each subject that they are teaching. Head counts are used, so a teacher teaching French and German would be counted once in each. In the science subjects, the teacher will be counted under the subject as marked on their timetable—if a teacher is marked as teaching physics then they will be counted under Physics only, whereas if they are marked as teaching physics and combined/general science they will be counted once against each subject. The 33,300 combined/general science teachers are teachers with combined/general science on their timetables; the figure does not include physics, biology and chemistry teachers unless they are teaching it as an additional subject and is marked as such on their timetables. (2) A full list of what was deemed as a 'relevant' qualification subject for each curriculum subject taught can be found on the SFR home page. (3) Includes all qualifications at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 4 and above. (4) Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry, or physics are qualified to teach combined/general science. (5) Classics includes classics, classical Greek, classical Hebrew and Latin. (6) Not all schools were able to submit curriculum information, and not all qualifications returns were complete. Qualifications information was either not provided, or the subject field was missing for 12% of the teachers in schools submitting curriculum data. Note: Percentages are row percentages, and based on the number of teachers for whom curriculum and qualifications information was provided. Source: School Workforce Census, SFR Table 13. 
		
	
	A full list of subjects and the proportion of teachers with a relevant qualification is available in Table 13 of the School Workforce Statistical First Release, available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000997/index.shtml

Teachers: Pensions

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which pension funds managing teachers' pension schemes were in (a) deficit and (b) surplus on the latest date for which figures are available; what the size was of any such deficit or surplus; and whether this will affect the rate of employer contributions to pensions for academies.

Nick Gibb: The Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) is an unfunded scheme and consequently there are no investments to manage. Employer and employee contributions rates are generally set following periodic valuations of the TPS by the Government Actuary, although the Department is currently consulting on an increase in the employee contribution rate in 2012-13 to take account of recommendations by the Independent Public Service Pension Commission. This will not affect the contribution rate paid by all TPS employers, including academies, which is currently 14.1%.

Teachers: Wirral

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers (a) were and (b) are to be employed in schools in Wirral in the financial year (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15.

Nick Gibb: There were 3,040 full-time equivalent teachers in service in publicly funded schools in Wirral local authority in November 2010. The source used is the School Workforce Census, No future estimates have been made centrally.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Access to Education Advocate

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Access to Education Advocate since the Advocate's appointment on (a) the increase in university tuition fees, (b) the National Scholarship Fund, (c) outreach funding, (d) the Office of Fair Access, (e) the education maintenance allowance and its replacement and (f) other issues relating to access to education.

David Willetts: The right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) had nine meetings with myself and the BIS ministerial team during his time as Advocate for Access to Education. He completed the six-month role on 30 June. During these discussions the issues of university tuition fees, the National Scholarship Fund, outreach funding, the Office of Fair Access, the education maintenance allowance and its replacement and other issues relating to education were covered. The Advocate's Report was published on 21 July 2011.

Access to Education Advocate

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the date was of each meeting he has had with the Access to Education Advocate since the post was created.

David Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and I together met with the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes), during his time as Advocate for Access to Education, on two occasions. These were Monday, 10 January and Monday, 4 April.
	I also met with the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) on Thursday, 27 January; Monday, 18 April; Wednesday, 25 May; and Wednesday, 7 July.
	In addition, the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, my hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes), met with the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) on Monday, 10 January; Thursday,27 January; and Monday, 9 May.

Access to Education Advocate

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department support the work of the Access to Education Advocate.

David Willetts: Two members of BIS staff supported the work of the Advocate for Access to Education. One was a full-time member of staff and one was part time (0.5).

Access to Education Advocate

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on (a) travel, (b) office space, (c) staff time and (d) communications in supporting the work of the Access to Education Advocate.

David Willetts: To support my right hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) in his role as Advocate for Access to Education, BIS spent (a) £680.84 on travel; (b) BIS provided him with a desk and a phone line at no additional cost to the Department as this was available within our normal capacity; (c) he was assigned the services of two BIS officials—one full-time and one part time—the approximate employment costs for whom were £28,000 (1.0) and £14,500 (0.5) respectively for the six month duration of the role which was completed on 30 June; (d) communications in supporting the Advocate role were covered by the same full-time member of the support staff.

Access to Education Advocate

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to enable the Access to Education Advocate to answer parliamentary questions.

David Willetts: My right hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) was asked by the Prime Minister to undertake the role of Advocate for Access to Education from 1 January 1 to 30 June 2011. This work has now been completed.

Apprentices

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships were (a) undertaken and (b) completed (i) by apprentices of each sex and (ii) by apprentices formerly in receipt of free school meals in each (A) sector and (B) region in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

John Hayes: holding answer 19 July 2011
	I have made final full year data showing Apprenticeship framework starts and achievements by region and sector subject area by gender for 2007/08 to 2009/10 available in the Libraries of the House.
	Information is not available on the number of Apprentices who were in receipt of free school meals. However, we do record information for those learners that attract a funding uplift, predominantly on the basis of living in a deprived area based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
	In 2009/10, 85,800 (31%) learners starting an Apprenticeship programme attracted a funding uplift.
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts by parliamentary constituency is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Business: Research

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about Government support for research and development activities in UK companies.

David Willetts: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and discuss a wide range of topics, most notably around the Government’s growth agenda, given that innovation is a key driver of growth.
	This Government recognise the importance of research and development (R&D) activities in UK companies and this Department is working closely with HM Treasury to improve the climate in this area through a number of interventions, such as improvements to R&D tax credits, including increases to the rate of relief for small and medium-sized enterprises (subject to state aid approval), and the implementation of a patent box. We have also taken forward a number of actions via the spending review and this has included ring-fencing science and research programme funding and establishing a national network of technology and innovation centres.
	Later this year, we will publish an Innovation and Research Strategy which will explore the roles of knowledge creation, business investment, skills and training, and the public sector in innovation and growth performance.

Care Homes: Ownership

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the accuracy of information held by the Land Registry on the ownership of care homes in England and Wales;
	(2)  if he will take steps to improve the accuracy of the information held by the Land Registry on the ownership of care homes run by Southern Cross; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Land Registry creates and maintains a register of title to land in England and Wales. The register reflects the legal documents of title submitted to the Registry, and specifically records the ownership information contained in those documents. This question relates to care home ownership, and in that context, no-one has questioned or challenged the accuracy of any ownership information, therefore no assessment has been carried out.
	The register of title does not record the use to which the land is put. It is therefore impossible to ascertain from the register whether any particular property is being used as a care home.

Companies House: Internet

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many annual returns were lodged with Companies House using web filing on a (a) Monday, (b) Tuesday, (c) Wednesday, (d) Thursday, (e) Friday, (f) Saturday and (g) Sunday in each of the last three tax years; and if he will consider staffing the web filing helpdesk on Sundays.

Edward Davey: The number of annual returns (form AR01) lodged with Companies House via the Web Filing facility on (a) Monday, (b) Tuesday, (c) Wednesday, (d) Thursday, (e) Friday, (f) Saturday, and (g) Sunday is as follows.
	
		
			 Day 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 Monday 345,370 335,248 340,287 
			 Tuesday 322,952 340,548 350,705 
			 Wednesday 293,962 315,800 324,262 
			 Thursday 275,682 340,548 320,389 
			 Friday 258,871 267,522 277,190 
			 Saturday 50,276 47,248 50,574 
			 Sunday 22,151 46,924 55,607 
		
	
	The staffing of Companies House's Web Filing Help Desk is an operational matter for the Registrar of Companies; I have been advised by the Registrar that while he does not have any current plans to staff the Help Desk on Sundays the situation is constantly monitored.

Companies: Overseas Trade

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the corporate governance and social responsibilities of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange but which trade in or are registered in countries not party to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Edward Davey: The Government encourage all UK-registered multinationals fully to respect the OECD Guidelines and other agreed standards and voluntary instruments for responsible business conduct, such as the UN Global Compact and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, and to comply with their obligations under the laws of the countries in which they operate.
	Companies registered outside the UK must comply with the EU Company Reporting Directive, which includes providing a corporate governance statement, to obtain a standard listing on the London Stock Exchange. To obtain a premium listing, they must meet the “comply or explain” standard of the UK Corporate Governance Code. The listing regime was amended in April 2010 to provide investor confidence that UK and overseas companies enjoying the benefits of a London listing are subject to the same levels of corporate governance obligations.

Credit Cards: Fees and Charges

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to respond to the findings of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on the Which? super-complaint on card payment surcharges; and what steps he plans to take to implement the OFT's recommendations.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply.
	In its report on card surcharges published in June 2011, the Office of Fair Trading recommended that the Government introduces measures to prohibit retailers from imposing surcharges for payments made by debit card. There are a number of ways of implementing the report's recommendations. The Government are considering the report and will respond to the Office of Fair Trading in due course.
	In the meantime, the Office of Fair Trading is taking action to ensure that consumers are given clear information on surcharges that apply to all forms of payment. Some retailers are already changing their practices, and the Office of Fair Trading will consider taking enforcement action against those retailers who do not do so.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 173W, on departmental carbon emissions, whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation on its estate were manufactured in the UK.

Edward Davey: The photovoltaic components installed on the roof of the Department's headquarters building, 1-19 Victoria street, London were manufactured in China, and Japan and assembled in the Czech Republic.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) used a Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) grant to fund the installation of the photovoltaics. As a result, the Department had to use one (or more) of the framework suppliers and products that appeared on the LCBP phase 2 product list, all of which were selected following the Official Journal of the European Union tender. This restriction meant that BIS could not stipulate that products selected for 1 Victoria street were manufactured in the UK.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills received 1,168 letters from hon. Members in June 2011.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in his Department between June 2001 and May 2002; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) purchase of such telecommunications equipment.

Edward Davey: No BlackBerrys were purchased between June 2001 and May 2002. No records are available detailing the provision of mobile phones or line rental costs for that period. The Department does not take out insurance on the mobile phone handsets it purchases.

Departmental Photography

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the UK photo marketing industry on his policy on the award of public sector contracts for the provision of identity photographs.

Edward Davey: There have been no discussions.

Departmental Redundancy

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010.

Edward Davey: The Department ran a voluntary exit scheme in September-October 2010, at a total cost of £27,169,651. In February 2011 the Department launched a voluntary redundancy scheme that is still ongoing, in respect of which the 2010/11 accounts contained an accrual of £9 million for costs that were incurred in the financial year and, in addition, a provision of £5.9 million against expected future costs.

Departmental Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what training was provided.

Edward Davey: holding answer 19 July 2011
	BIS has spent a total of £2,800 on providing training since May 2010 to help Ministers undertake their official duties.

Education: English Language

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the net saving to the Exchequer of proposed changes to the English for speakers of other languages provision.

John Hayes: As part of the spending review we had to take tough decisions about where public investment should be focussed to ensure that we can maximise its impact.
	As set out in “Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth” (November, 2010) full Government subsidy will be focussed on basic literacy and numeracy qualifications for adults of all ages and first full level 2 or level 3 qualifications for young adults. In line with the Government agenda to support unemployed people into work, full Government subsidy will also be available for units and full qualifications for unemployed people in receipt of benefits conditional on them seeking or preparing for work. The Government will continue to invest in training outside of areas where full subsidy is available, but the costs will be shared between the Government and the learner or employer.
	On the basis that public funding should not be used to substitute employer investment in training, we will no longer fund English for Speakers of Other Languages delivered in the workplace.
	From the 2011/12 academic year we have introduced a single adult skills budget. This will provide further education colleges and training organisations with the flexibility to offer the range and balance of programmes, from basic skills to higher-level skills, in the mode of delivery that will best meet the needs of learners, employers and communities (classroom, workshop, online and in the workplace).

European Space Agency

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what preparations his Department is making for the European Space Agency Ministerial Meeting in November 2012.

David Willetts: The UK Space Agency has a plan of action for the ministerial meeting involving consultation with industry, academia and the Space Leadership Council. We are influencing the European Space Agency's thinking and will prioritise its eventual proposals with respect to both their scientific excellence and potential to enhance economic growth.

Flexible Working: Research

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will commission research on the effects of (a) flexible working and (b) extended parental leave on the viability of small and medium sized enterprises.

Edward Davey: The Modern Workplaces consultation included impact assessments on the proposals to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees, and create a system of flexible parental leave. The consultations and impact assessments were published and have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	During the consultation period we sought views and evidence from business on the effects of these proposals on their business. We met several small businesses and their representatives and widely encouraged small and medium-sized enterprises to respond directly to the consultation.
	The consultation has now closed. We will revise the impact assessments in light of the responses we received and publish the revised assessments alongside the Government response to the consultation.

Foreign Investment in UK

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the (a) size and (b) share of foreign direct investment from other EU member states in (i) the latest period for which figures are available, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2000, (iv) 1995, (v) 1990, (vi) 1985 and (vii) 1981; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 18 July 2011
	The following table shows the net book value of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the UK from EU member states as a proportion of total inward FDI for the years requested, where data are available. Data are not available for 1981 and 1985. Data is not available on a consistent EU27 basis. Therefore 1990 and 1995 data relate only to those 15 member states which had acceded to the EU by 1995.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  1990 1995 2000 2005 2009 
			 All inward FDI to UK 105,760 128,885 293,949 488,212 653,591 
			 Inward FDI— EU to UK 33,707 43,493 136,924 244,392 351,544 
			 EU to UK FDI—percentage share of all inward FDI 31.9 33.7 46.6 50.1 53.8 
			 Source:  Office for National Statistics

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the Independent Farming Regulation Task Force's recommendations on reform of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority as part of his Department's review of Employment Law.

Edward Davey: The Government are considering the recommendations made by the Independent Task Force on Farming Regulation and will publish an initial response this autumn and a final response early in 2012. The response will take account of other reviews, including the Employment Law Review.
	Officials in this Department are also working closely with their counterparts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the review of Government enforcement of workplace rights, which forms part of the Employment Law Review.

Higher Education: Admissions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the reports he has received from the Government's Advocate for Access to Education, including letters of guidance for the Director of Fair Access, as set out in paragraph 5.30 of the higher education white paper; and whether he plans to publish the Advocate's final report.

David Willetts: Simon Hughes has now completed his work as Advocate for Access to Education and has submitted his report to the Prime Minister. It was published on 21 July.

Higher Education: Admissions

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pupils from each ethnic group were admitted to (a) the University of Oxford, (b) the University of Cambridge and (c) other Russell Group universities in the last year for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The number of UK-domiciled young (aged under 21) full-time first degree entrants to Russell Group universities, the university of Oxford and the university of Cambridge are shown by ethnic group in the table. Figures are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
	
		
			 UK-domiciled young  (1)   full-time first degree entrants to Russell Group universities, the university of Oxford and the university of Cambridge by ethnic group. Academic year 2009/10 
			 Ethnic group Russell Group Of which: Oxford Of which: Cambridge 
			 White 56,235 2,305 2,310 
			 Black 1,125 25 25 
			 Asian 6,000 170 235 
			 White 2,220 125 110 
			 Other 460 10 15 
			 All ethnic groups(2) 66,040 2,630 2,695 
			 (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. (2) Excludes entrants whose ethnicity was classified as not known, information refused or missing. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Higher Education: Disadvantaged

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will list the 30 universities or higher education institutions with the highest (a) proportion and (b) number of students from socioeconomic groups four to seven; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The 30 English higher education institutions with the highest proportion and number of UK-domiciled young full-time first degree entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven are shown in tables 1 and 2 respectively. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators in higher education and are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from April 2012. More information on the Performance Indicators can be found at this link to the HESA website:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2072&ltemid=141
	Socio-economic information was known for 80.2% of young full-time first degree entrants to English higher education institutions in 2009/10. For each institution, the proportion of entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven is calculated based only on those with known social background.
	
		
			 Table 1: English higher education institutions with the highest proportion of UK-domiciled young  (1)   full-time first degree entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven  ,   academic year 2009/10 
			 Institution Percentage from socio-economic groups four to seven 
			 The University of Greenwich 55.1 
			 The University of Bradford 52.2 
			 Harper Adams University College 51.8 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 48.8 
			 Newman University College 46.6 
			 The University of Bolton 45.8 
			 London Metropolitan University 44.9 
			 Middlesex University 44.4 
			 University of Bedfordshire 43.2 
			 The University of East London 43.1 
			 The University of Westminster 42.6 
			 Birmingham City University 42.1 
			 The University of Sunderland 41.9 
			 The University of Teesside 41.5 
			 Oxford Brookes University 41.2 
			 Edge Hill University 41.0 
			 Staffordshire University 40.3 
			 The University of Huddersfield 40.2 
			 London South Bank University 39.8 
			 The School of Pharmacy 39.8 
			 University of Hertfordshire 39.5 
			 University Campus Suffolk 39.4 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 39.0 
			 Kingston University 38.9 
			 St Mary's University College, Twickenham 38.7 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 38.6 
			 The City University 38.6 
			 University College Birmingham 38.5 
			 De Montfort University 38.5 
			 University of Cumbria 38.4 
			 (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. Note: Percentages in the table are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators In Higher Education 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: English higher education institutions with the highest number of UK-domiciled young  (1)   full-time first degree entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven, academic year 2009/10 
			 Institution Number from socio-economic groups four to seven 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 1,605 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 1,565 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 1,480 
			 De Montfort University 1,320 
			 University of Hertfordshire 1,235 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 1,155 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 1,140 
			 Kingston University 1,090 
			 The University of Greenwich 1,075 
			 The University of Manchester 1,040 
			 The University of Portsmouth 1,030 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 1,025 
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 1,025 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 980 
			 The University of Leeds 915 
			 The University of Plymouth 900 
			 Birmingham City University 845 
			 Coventry University 830 
			 Staffordshire University 815 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 815 
			 The University of Birmingham 800 
			 The University of Huddersfield 780 
			 Oxford Brookes University 780 
			 The University of Lincoln 770 
			 Southampton Solent University 770 
			 The University of Westminster 765 
			 The University of Salford 740 
			 The University of Kent 725 
			 Brunel University 720 
			 University of Derby 715 
			 (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. Note: Figures in the table are rounded up or down to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators in Higher Education

Higher Education: Ethnic Groups

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will list the 30 universities or higher education institutions with the highest (a) proportion and (b) number of non-white students; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The 30 English higher education institutions with the highest proportion and number of UK-domiciled enrolments from ethnic minorities are shown in tables 1 and 2 respectively. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
	
		
			 Table 1: English higher education institutions with the highest proportion of UK-domiciled enrolments  (1)   from ethnic minorities. Academic year 2009/10 
			 Institution Percentage of enrolments from ethnic minorities  (2) 
			 School of Pharmacy 75.7 
			 University of East London 60.6 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 60.3 
			 Brunei University 59.6 
		
	
	
		
			 City University London 55.0 
			 Aston University 54.7 
			 Middlesex University 53.8 
			 London Metropolitan University 53.8 
			 University of Bradford 53.6 
			 London South Bank University 52.8 
			 Kingston University 50.9 
			 University of Westminster 50.3 
			 St Georges Hospital Medical School 48.7 
			 Thames Valley University 48.5 
			 School of Oriental and African Studies 45.9 
			 University of Buckingham 45.6 
			 University of Greenwich 45.1 
			 University of Hertfordshire 44.0 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 41.8 
			 University College Birmingham 41.4 
			 Kings College London 41.1 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 39.6 
			 De Montfort University 37.6 
			 Birmingham City University 37.5 
			 Roehampton University 36.2 
			 London Business School 36.1 
			 University College London 34.3 
			 Institute of Cancer Research 34.0 
			 University of Wolverhampton 33.5 
			 Goldsmiths College 33.0 
			 (1) Covers full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in all years of study. (2) Covers black, Asian, mixed and other ethnic groups. Note: Percentages in the table are based on a HESA standard registration population and are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: English higher education institutions with the highest number of UK-domiciled enrolments  (1)   from ethnic minorities. Academic year 2009/10 
			 Institution Enrolments from ethnic minorities  (2) 
			 Open University 19,185 
			 University of East London 12,170 
			 Kingston University 11,115 
			 London South Bank University 10,795 
			 University of Greenwich 9,710 
			 University of Hertfordshire 9,700 
			 London Metropolitan University 9,495 
			 Middlesex University 9,250 
			 University of Westminster 8,455 
			 Birmingham City University 8,170 
			 De Montfort University 7,610 
			 Kings College London 7,445 
			 Brunei University 7,025 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 6,605 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 6,305 
			 Thames Valley University 6,270 
			 University of Wolverhampton 6,240 
			 City University London 5,995 
			 University of Manchester 5,825 
			 Coventry University 5,525 
			 University of Bradford 5,425 
			 Nottingham Trent University 5,230 
			 University College London 4,900 
			 University of Birmingham 4,895 
			 Birkbeck College 4,825 
		
	
	
		
			 University of Nottingham 4,275 
			 Aston University 4,095 
			 University of Bedfordshire 4,035 
			 University of Warwick 3,915 
			 University of Salford 3,825 
			 (1) Covers full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in all years of study. (2 )Covers black, Asian, mixed and other ethnic groups. Note: Figures in the table are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record.

Higher Education: Finance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the White Paper entitled Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System, what support under the proposals will be available exclusively to not-for-profit universities.

David Willetts: The Government wants to encourage new providers to enter the Higher Education market, to make a reality of student choice, incentivise efficiency and the best possible value for money for students. In our recent White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System” (Cm 8122) we set out our proposals to establish a regulatory system which allows all providers to enter and participate in the Higher Education market on an equitable basis. We have also said that, in addition to access to the student support system, not-for- profit institutions will be able to access grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), to fund additional costs and public policy priorities, such as those associated with high cost or specialist provision, which cannot be met by graduate contributions alone.

Higher Education: Merseyside

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in St Helens South and Whiston constituency applied to enter university in each of the last five academic years; how many such applicants were successful; and what proportion of these were from disadvantaged backgrounds.

David Willetts: The information is in the following table and has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	Applicants who were not accepted for entry will include: individuals who did not receive any offer; individuals who received an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decided not to go to university; individuals who received a conditional offer and failed to meet the specific conditions (e.g. they did not achieve certain grades); and individuals who decided to withdraw from the UCAS system.
	
		
			 Applicants and accepted applicants domiciled in St Helens South and Whiston constituency to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS, by area background, years of entry 2006 to 2010 
			  Applicants Percentage of total Accepted applicants Percentage of total 
			 2006     
			 Disadvantaged(1) 483 69 408 68 
			 Other 221 31 195 32 
			 Total 704 100 603 100 
			      
			 2007     
			 Disadvantaged(1) 521 74 422 74 
			 Other 180 26 148 26 
			 Total 701 100 570 100 
			      
			 2008     
			 Disadvantaged(1) 584 74 510 76 
			 Other 200 26 163 24 
			 Total 784 100 673 100 
			      
			 2009     
			 Disadvantaged(1) 669 73 524 72 
			 Other 247 27 201 28 
			 Total 916 100 725 100 
			      
			 2010     
			 Disadvantaged(1) 637 72 461 70 
			 Other 243 28 193 30 
			 Total 880 100 654 100 
			 (1) Derived from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s POLAR2 measure. For the purposes of their funding allocations HEFCE treat entrants from the most disadvantaged 40% of neighbourhoods as ‘disadvantaged’: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/fund/ HEFCE uses two different groupings of areas to define disadvantage: one based on the participation rates of young (19 and under) people in higher education (HE) (which is used by HEFCE when looking at young full-time entrants); and one based on the proportion of adults who hold HE qualifications (which is used by HEFCE when looking at part-time and mature full-time entrants). Because this table includes applicants and accepted applicants of all ages, disadvantage is defined by quintiles 1 and 2 of the HE qualified adults measure. Source: UCAS

Higher Education: Private Sector

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 333W, on higher education: private sector, what the date was of his first meeting with representatives of Education Management Corporation; and whether any subsequent meetings have taken place.

David Willetts: I met with representatives of Education Management Corporation on 19 July 2010. No subsequent meetings have taken place.
	A quarterly-updated list of all BIS ministerial meetings with external organisations is also available at:
	http://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/disclosure-ministerial-hospitality-received-department-for-business

Higher Education: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people aged between 17 and 24 years resident in Sunderland Central constituency were eligible to apply to attend university in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

David Willetts: Universities are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions. Individual universities set their own minimum entry requirements which may vary from course to course. There is no legal minimum qualification level necessary for someone to apply for higher education.
	Information on people aged between 17 and 24 who meet the requirements set by universities is not available centrally.

Intellectual Property

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support UK businesses exploiting their intellectual property.

Edward Davey: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) provides support for businesses to help them maximise the value of their intellectual property (IP) through a variety of online tools and training events. These include regional workshops for businesses to learn about IP, online IP health checks that allow businesses to assess their use of IP and provision of a wide variety of information booklets and online resources. The IPO also provides training for business advisors to allow them to better advise businesses on IP issues. To assist companies wishing to operate overseas, the IPO holds joint events with UK Trade and Investment.
	The IPO is constantly seeking to develop its support for business and, following the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property, is reviewing its provision of support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular. The IPO will be developing an online training tool for business advisors and IP will form part of the Business Coaching for Growth programme being developed by BIS.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Sheffield

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure that Sheffield City Region local enterprise partnership receives a response to its application for start up costs by 19 July 2011.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 19 July 2011
	Information on the Start up Fund for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) made clear that the Department aims to make a decision on all LEP applications by the recess and respond to each LEP by August 1, a deadline I am confident will be hit.
	We received a total of 32 applications from LEPs, including one from Sheffield City Region, and the process of assessing and responding is advancing well.

Manufacturing Industries: Wales

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on support available to the manufacturing industry in Wales.

Mark Prisk: I met with the Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) on 23 May to discuss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and how the Growth Agenda impacts on Wales. In addition, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint both made separate visits to Wales in March when they took part in discussions with stakeholders, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Wales, on a wide range of issues relating to manufacturing and SMEs. Most recently I visited the Toyota plant at Deeside on 29 June to promote the Government's "See Inside Manufacturing" initiative.

Minimum Wage

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider the merits of allowing the rate of the minimum wage to be set locally.

Edward Davey: The Government have no plans to introduce regional or local minimum wages.
	The basic principle of the national minimum wage is that it should be set on a single national basis. A single national rate is easier to understand, fairer and easier to enforce.

Minimum Wage

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the activities of unlicensed labour providers in recruiting workers paid at hourly rates below the national minimum wage to work in the (a) construction, (b) care home, (c) cleaning, (d) hospitality and (e) catering sectors.

Edward Davey: The National Minimum Wage (NMW) sets a statutory minimum hourly rate, below which a worker must not be paid and it is illegal to recruit workers below this level. HM Revenue and Customs investigate all complaints made to them about underpayment of the NMW, in addition to conducting targeted enforcement campaigns in particular sectors based on risk assessment of underpayment. Anyone who believes that they are being underpaid should contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. The Low Pay Commission (LPC) undertakes analysis each year into low-paying sectors and this informs their recommendations as to the level of the NMW. Their assessment is published in the LPC annual report.

Minimum Wage

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he will take to ensure that workers in the (a) construction, (b) care home, (c) cleaning, (d) hospitality and (e) catering sectors are paid at hourly rates at or above the national minimum wage; and whether the Employment Law review is to make recommendations in this area.

Edward Davey: The Government supports the National Minimum Wage (NMW) because of the protection it gives low income workers and the incentives to work it provides. HM Revenue and Customs investigate all complaints made to them and have also recently conducted targeted enforcement in the hotel cleaning and hospitality sectors. As part of the wider employment law review, a review of workplace rights enforcement and compliance is currently being undertaken. The review will consider NMW enforcement, together with other Government enforced workplace rights, to establish what scope there is to streamline them and make them more effective.

Minimum Wage

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on increasing the resources available to HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage enforcement team.

Edward Davey: HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage enforcement team were allocated £8,295,000 for the 2011/12 financial year. This represents a 2.4% increase from the 2010/11 enforcement budget of £8,100,000.

Multinational Companies

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with his OECD counterparts the extension of OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to countries not currently within the ambit of the Guidelines.

Edward Davey: BIS officials regularly discuss with their OECD counterparts the extension of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to non-adhering countries during meetings of the OECD Investment Committee, the OECD annual meeting of National Contact Points for the OECD Guidelines and OECD roundtables on corporate responsibility.

Music: Licensing

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on small businesses of the conditions of (a) Performing Right Society and (b) Phonographic Performance Ltd licences; what statutory guidance regulates the issue and enforcement of such licences; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Department has not assessed the effect on small businesses of the licensing conditions of the Performing Rights Society (PRS) and Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL). The broader licensing and enforcement framework is set out in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The collecting society functions of PRS, PPL, and other collecting societies are not specifically regulated by the Government at present. However, the Government have recently accepted a recommendation made by Professor Ian Hargreaves, in his independent review of Intellectual Property and Growth, that collecting societies be regulated through codes of conduct that enshrine minimum standards of fairness and transparency and which govern their relations with licensees. The Government will consult on the implementation of this recommendation later this year.

Neil Wallis

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his private office and (d) (i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with Neil Wallis since his appointment; and on what dates.

Edward Davey: Meetings between Ministers and Permanent Secretaries and external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website but there have been no meetings or correspondence between Neil Wallis and BIS Ministers. We do not hold a central list of officials' meetings and to provide further information would incur disproportionate cost.

New Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has commissioned research on the effect of external business support on business start-ups.

Mark Prisk: BIS undertakes regular research examining the use of external business support and the benefits derived. Details of the research can be found on the BIS website:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/enterprise-and-business-support/analytical-unit/research-and-evaluation/globally-competitive-business-environment
	In particular the Solutions for Business Cross-product Monitoring Survey published in June 2010 looked at the impact of three start-up products on new businesses. A further Cross-product Monitoring Survey was commissioned in 2011 and ‘Starting a High Growth Business’ was one of the products included. Results will be published on the BIS website in due course.

Overseas Students: Entry Clearances

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the change in the level of (a) tuition fee income and (b) overall spending by international students whilst living in the UK arising from planned changes to the student visa regime in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) published an impact assessment of the reform of the Points Based Immigration system in June this year. The assessment said the level of tuition fee income from international students would reduce by £22.5 million in 2011/12; by £30.8 million in 2012/13; and by £59.4 million in 2013/14.
	The UKBA impact assessment found the reduction in international student expenditure would be £47.7 million in 2011/12; £95.1 million in 2012/13; and £169.9 million in 2013/14. These figures do not include expenditure by students' dependents, nor do they include the amount generated by students and their dependents through part-time work while in study, which is not the same as the Post-Study Work route. When such reductions are taken into account, the change to total output is estimated by UKBA to be £2 billion in the four years to 2014/15.
	The Government are very clear that we should not be discouraging genuine international students coming to the UK to study at genuine institutions. We fully appreciate the economic benefits and wider enrichment students bring to the UK.
	What we are attempting to do is tighten up the student route by tackling abuse of the system. The aim is to ensure that we get the balance right between providing a user-friendly route for bona fide students and education providers and keeping out those who would seek to abuse the system.

Pearson

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Minister for Universities and Science first met representatives of Pearson following his appointment; and whether subsequent meetings have taken place.

David Willetts: I met with representatives of Pearson on 20 June 2010 and held a subsequent meeting on 13 June 2011. I attended dinners with representatives of Pearson on 3 May 2011 and 23 May 2011.
	A quarterly-updated list of all BIS ministerial meetings with external organisations is also available at:
	http://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/disclosure-ministerial-hospitality-received-department-for-business

Post Offices

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices there were in England and Wales (a) in 2005, (b) in May 2010 and (c) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Managing Director of the Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the right hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Price Fixing

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills following the recent Competition Appeal Tribunal decision on cover pricing, whether the Office of Fair Trading is taking steps to compensate companies which were fined excessively in respect of cover pricing, but which did not take part in the appeal case.

Edward Davey: No. All the companies who were addressees of the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) decision had the opportunity to appeal within the two month time period stipulated in the Competition Appeal Tribunal's rules. In the absence of an appeal or the grant of permission to appeal out of time, the decision became final as regards each of the addressees on the expiry of this time limit. Given the time elapsed between the OFT decision in September 2009 and the recent Competition Appeal Tribunal judgment, the OFT does not propose to review the decision in respect of any addressee of the decision who chose not to appeal.

Regional Growth Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration his Department gives to innovation in assessing applications for the second round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Mark Prisk: All bids will be assessed in accordance with Green Book compliant methodology and inputs from policy leads within Departments. Tangible and intangible benefits related to innovation will be included in the value for money analysis.

Science: Higher Education

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessments he has made of the impact of his Department's policy on recruitment of students securing the equivalent of AAB or above at A-level on the future of degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

David Willetts: The impact assessment of the proposals in the White Paper can be found on our website. This includes modelling on the policy of allowing unrestrained recruitment of highly qualified students, and the creation of a margin of 20,000 places.
	We have asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consult on how to implement these approaches and have made clear that, in doing so, the Council should ensure that Strategically Important and Vulnerable subjects (SIVS) are not disadvantaged. SIVS include high cost science, technology and engineering subject and mathematics. HEFCE are carrying out a consultation on changes to be implemented in 2012-13 and have published some information on degree subjects taken by students entering higher education with entry grades of AAB or above. This information shows that a slightly higher proportion of AAB students are studying science, technology, engineering or maths degrees than students overall.
	We have also asked HEFCE to monitor the impact of the approach and its effect and provide advice, as soon as feasible, on how the model is operating in its first year.

Shops: Dogs

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has considered producing health and safety guidance for the purposes of preventing domestic dogs entering shops.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE has no plans to produce health and safety guidance for the purpose of preventing dogs entering shops.
	Retail premises have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure the health and safety of their employees and, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that those affected by their business activities including customers are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. If retailers have identified a significant risk from domestic dogs entering premises then they should take sensible and proportionate measures to reduce such risk so far as is reasonably practicable.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has overall policy responsibility for health and safety at retail premises while local authorities have responsibility for enforcement of the legislation.

Skills Funding Agency

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the total cost of the planned reorganisation of the Skills Funding Agency.

John Hayes: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The current reorganisation of the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) started in autumn 2010 and will be complete by autumn 2011. It will result in the Agency reducing from 1,896 staff to below 1,264 staff and from 20 to 13 offices. The one-off cost is estimated at £48 million. This cost will generate an estimated £20 million savings in the 2011-12 financial year, followed by an expected annual saving by the end of the spending review period of £41 million (i.e. - a reduction of 33% of the baseline budget).

Skills Funding Agency

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether a risk assessment was carried out into (a) budget reductions and (b) reduction of posts with responsibility for health and safety in the Skills Funding Agency.

John Hayes: holding answer 19 July 2011
	In reaching the decision to reduce health and safety posts the Skills Funding Agency carried out a review of its responsibilities in relation to the health and safety of the learners it funds and was satisfied that it could continue to discharge those responsibilities without the need to employ specialist health and safety advisers.

Small Businesses

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) level of and (b) rate of change in the number of EU regulations applicable to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Prisk: The Government are concerned about the cumulative impact of EU legislation on UK business, including small and medium-sized enterprises. That is why the Government welcomed the European Commission's commitment at the June European Council to assess the impact of future regulations on micro-enterprises, and to screen the existing stock of EU legislation with a view to identifying obligations from which these smallest businesses could be excluded.
	The Government also welcomed the political agreement reached at the May Competitiveness Council to allow member states to exclude micro-enterprises from onerous accounting provisions in the 4th Company Law Directive. The Government will continue to work closely with the Commission to seek further reductions in EU regulatory burdens on small firms.

Social Clubs: Smoking

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the effects of the smoking ban on the viability of (a) working men's clubs and (b) social clubs; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: I have been asked to reply.
	In ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’, published in March 2011, the Government set out their belief that the aims of smokefree legislation continue to be achieved effectively.
	Alongside this plan, an independent academic review of the evidence of the impact of smokefree legislation, ‘Impact of smokefree legislation: evidence review, March 2011’ was also published, showing that the legislation has had beneficial effects on health. The academic review also addressed the impact of smokefree legislation on the hospitality industry.
	The Government have no plans to review smokefree legislation further at this stage.
	All documents referred to have already been placed in the Library.

Spaceflight: Government Assistance

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support the space science and exploration sector.

David Willetts: Strong support to the space science and exploration sector is provided by the UK Space Agency through a £90 million/year subscription for missions of the European Space Agency plus a national programme of scientific instruments for those missions of about £17 million/year. Examples include the very successful Herschel Space Observatory and the ExoMars rover.

Spaceflight: Government Assistance

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage the development of commercial opportunities from investment in space science and exploration.

David Willetts: Space science and exploration is an excellent source of innovation and we have a comprehensive approach to creating commercial opportunities from our programme. The UK Space Agency and partners run networking events bringing space experts together with investors in areas such as health care, energy, environment and security. The agency has recently invested nearly half a million pounds in spin-off projects from the Aurora Mars programme. The European Space Agency provides support through a Technology Transfer Programme and together we have set up a Space Business Incubator to create new businesses exploiting space technology. This is based at the Harwell Space Cluster which also includes the International Space Innovation Centre, a public-private partnership driving space applications into the wider economy.

Students: Finance

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total repayment amount of student loans arising from the new fee regime starting in 2012 in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total repayment amount of student loans by former students in each decile of graduate income arising from the new fee regime starting in 2012 in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040.

David Willetts: The Government's current estimates of repayments made by students under the new system starting in 2012/13 by earnings decile are:
	
		
			 £ billion 
			  Financial year 
			 Decile 2020-21 2030-31 2040-41 
			 1 0.1 0.2 0.2 
			 2 0.1 0.3 0.5 
			 3 0.1 0.4 0.7 
			 4 0.1 0.5 0.8 
			 5 0.1 0.5 1.0 
			 6 0.1 0.6 1.1 
			 7 0.1 0.7 1.2 
			 8 0.1 0.8 1.4 
			 9 0.2 0.9 1.4 
			 10 0.2 1.1 1.4 
			 Total repayments 1.1 6.1 9.7 
		
	
	The figures are adjusted for inflation (RPI) and presented in 2011 prices. They are for full-time English students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs) and EU students at English HEIs. Earnings deciles for each repayment cohort are defined by ranking a set of simulated student loan borrowers by the value of their earnings in real terms (discounting by RPI) over 35 years from their Statutory Repayment Due Date. The deciles for which repayments are presented here include borrowers from all cohorts.

Students: Finance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the White Paper entitled Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System, whether undergraduates who have achieved AAB or better at A-Level, 
	(1)  who are enrolled at institutions that are not subject to testing by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, will be eligible for funding;
	(2)  who are enrolled at institutions that do not have English degree-awarding powers will be eligible for funding;
	(3)  enrolled at institutions that are not accredited as university or university-college in England will be eligible for funding.

David Willetts: Undergraduates that have achieved AAB or better at A-level and who will start their courses on or after 1 September 2012, will be subject to the standard eligibility requirements for student funding in England. Providing that a student meets personal eligibility criteria, they will be entitled to receive funding through the student support system provided that their chosen course of study is “designated” for student support.
	From 1 September 2012 all courses that are designated for student support must on successful completion lead to a qualification that is awarded or validated by a body that is recognised to grant UK Degrees (that is, has UK degree awarding powers(DAPs). There will be two exceptions to this: Higher National Diplomas or Higher National Certificates which are awarded by BTEC or the Scottish Qualifications Authority; and Initial Teacher Training Courses, which are subject to their own approval processes managed by BIS and DfE. It is not currently a condition that institutions must be accredited as a university or university college in order for their courses to attract student support—many private institutions provide courses that are designated for student support purposes—nor is it a requirement that provision will be subject to Quality Assurance Agency QAA testing, although the majority of such provision currently is.
	The Higher Education White Paper “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System” (June 2011) set out a commitment to introduce a new, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for higher education in England. Our proposals include introducing legislation that will ensure that in future all designated providers, as a condition of designation for student support or HEFCE teaching grant, will be required to subscribe to the (QAA) and be subject to the English HE quality assurance arrangements for all eligible courses. This would apply regardless of whether they are HEIs, FECs or alternative providers, and whether or not they have DAPs.

Students: Recruitment

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the proposal in the Higher Education White Paper on the recruitment of students with A-level grades of AAB or equivalent applies only to certain A-level subjects.

David Willetts: The proposal in the Higher Education White Paper on the recruitment of students with A-level grades of AAB and above or equivalent applies to all A-level subjects.

Students: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding funding arrangements for students from Scotland wishing to study at universities in England and Wales.

David Willetts: The Secretary of State has not discussed this subject with Scottish Ministers.
	I met with Scottish Ministers on 4 July 2011. A range of issues concerning higher education were discussed.
	Officials from BIS have been in regular contact with officials from the Scottish Government to discuss a number of issues, including funding arrangements for students from elsewhere in the UK wishing to study at universities in England.
	Welsh universities are a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Teachers: Training

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to increase the number of universities offering PGCE courses in (a) classics, (b) modern languages and (c) information technology.

Nick Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Education estimates the number of teacher training places (including those on Post Graduate Certificates in Education courses) needed for each subject. This includes PGCE courses in classics, modern languages and information technology. The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) allocates these places to academic institutions and other providers of initial teacher training. The Department's current assessment is that there is enough capacity in the existing pool of universities who are accredited as initial teacher training providers to meet the requirement for teacher training places in all subjects, including classics, modern languages and information technology.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect on the manufacturing sector in (a) Derby, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK of the announcement of the preferred bidder for the Thameslink rail contract.

Mark Prisk: Ministers are in regular discussion about this matter. Furthermore, my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Transport have jointly written to the Prime Minister outlining their plan for the Growth Review to fully explore the opportunity to take a more strategic approach to major public procurement.
	On 7 July 2011 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills announced the creation of an Economic Response Task Force chaired by Margaret Gildea OBE, which will look to understand and mitigate the economic impact of job losses at Bombardier, its supply chain and the local community. In the longer term the Government will work with the rail industry as we develop our strategies to secure more sustainable investment in the UK and to maximise business opportunities identified through contracts like the Intercity Express Programme, Thameslink and Crossrail.

Union Modernisation Fund

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether there are any restrictions on the use of the facilities provided to the RMT union and funded through the RMT Remote Access Project from the Union Modernisation Fund;
	(2)  whether there are any restrictions on the use of the facilities provided to the Amicus/Unite union and funded through the Piloting IT Services for Branches Project from the Union Modernisation Fund;
	(3)  whether there are any restrictions on the use of the facilities provided to the ASLEF union and funded through the Transforming Communications with union members Project from the Union Modernisation Fund.

Edward Davey: The Union Modernisation Fund is a grant scheme set up to provide financial assistance to trade unions in support of innovative modernisation projects that contribute to a transformational change in the organisational effectiveness of trade unions as they respond to changes in the UK labour market. The aim was to enhance the ability of trade unions to meet the needs of their members and make an effective contribution to constructive employment relations.
	The grant offer letters for each project clearly sets out the terms and conditions and activity for which the grant has been provided and this does not include carrying out political objectives or campaign activity. All projects are regularly monitored and evaluation of expenditure is undertaken to ensure union activity falls within the scope of the fund.

Union Modernisation Fund

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 196W, on Union Modernisation Fund, which academics or organisations will be commissioned to undertake the evaluation research into the effectiveness and value for money of round three projects.

Edward Davey: To ensure a consistent approach the Department is in discussion with Leeds University Business School to conduct an evaluation of the round three projects.

Union Modernisation Fund

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects funded by the Union Modernisation Fund completed all project milestones within the specified timetable.

Edward Davey: 30 round one projects and 31 round two projects completed project milestones within the specified timetable. Two round two projects were granted project extensions. Round three projects are on course to complete within the specified timetable.

TREASURY

Bank of Ireland

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Irish government regarding the Bank of Ireland's 13.375% subordinated bonds and its recently withdrawn capital raising offer.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions or correspondence received.

Bombardier Transportation: Redundancy

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the public revenues of the job losses announced by Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd on 5 July 2011.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 815W, to the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson).

Child Benefit: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families whose head of household is (a) a Polish, (b) a Lithuanian, (c) a Latvian, (d) a Czech, (e) a Slovak, (f) a Portuguese and (g) an Estonian national domiciled in the Peterborough city council area were in receipt of child benefit in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The information as requested is not available.
	The latest data on child benefit is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug10.pdf
	This shows that the total number of families claiming child benefit is 7,841,675 on behalf of 13,685,250 children.
	In addition, page 25 of the latest Home Office Accession Monitoring Report (link as follows) published in May 2009 gives total child benefit claims in 2008 by A8 nationals (this is nationals of the eight central and eastern European countries which acceded to the EU on 1 May 2004. This includes Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Hungary but not Portugal). This shows that there were 35,883 child benefit applications approved for A8 nationals in 2008.
	Data are not collected at a regional or constituency level.
	The Home Office Accession Monitoring Report:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100422120657/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report/

Crown Estate Commissioners

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means his Department monitors the economic activity of the Crown Estate.

Justine Greening: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The framework document, which describes how HM Treasury and The Crown Estate work together, is published on The Crown Estate website:
	http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/about_us.htm

Cybercrime

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of HM Revenue and Customs have been assigned to bespoke cybercrime teams.

David Gauke: HMRC does not currently have bespoke cybercrime teams. The threat of cybercrime is addressed through multi-functional teams tackling a wide range of fraud and evasion. This includes officials to carry out investigations, gather intelligence, secure HMRC’s IT systems and provide guidance and support to its customers. As part of the reinvestment package announced in the 2010 spending review HMRC is developing a bespoke cybercrime team that will provide additional specialist capability to tackle this threat.

Departmental Accountancy

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written directions his Department's accounting officer received from Ministers in each year from 1997 to 2010; what the related expenditure was in each case; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such direction.

Justine Greening: The information sought is set out in the following table. The Treasury issued two ministerial directions, which were published in the House of Commons Library in February 2010. They can be accessed from the Deposited papers section of the UK Parliament website under reference DEP2010 0367, which were placed in the Library in 2010.
	
		
			  Department Direction Category 
			 2008 HM Treasury Landsbanki VFM 
			 2009 HM Treasury Asset Protection Scheme Propriety

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from his Department in (a) June 2010 and (b) June 2011.

Justine Greening: Monthly data on the performance of all Government Departments against the Government's commitment to reduce emissions from its office estate by 10% in the 12 months from 14 May 2010 are published on the Government's public data website at:
	http://data.gov.uk/departmental-performance-co2-emissions-reduction-date
	In this period, HM Treasury reduced the carbon dioxide emissions from its office estate by over 14%.
	From the data published for the period 14 May to 30 June 2010, HM Treasury emitted an estimated 417 tonnes of carbon dioxide during June 2010 (on a pro rata basis). Data for June 2011 is not yet available.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1084W, on departmental carbon emissions, if he will assess the feasibility of low-carbon energy generation on his Department's estate.

Justine Greening: The feasibility of low-carbon energy generation has been considered in the past for Treasury's 1 Horse Guards road building but the practical limitations of adapting a grade II* listed building currently preclude this from being taken forward.
	HM Treasury currently receives electricity under a cross-Government framework contract which guarantees that at least 10% will be generated from renewable sources, and 15% from combined heat and power.

Departmental Lost Property

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was.

Justine Greening: The following items of HM Treasury property were lost or stolen from the Department during the 12 months ending December 2010:
	Lost
	Five BlackBerry mobile devices
	One Blackberry Sim card
	One laptop computer
	Five laptop tokens
	One USB memory stick
	Stolen
	Three laptop computers
	One laptop token
	One BlackBerry mobile device
	Five mobile phone Sim cards.
	The total cost of replacement is estimated at £5,500.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible since May 2010.

Justine Greening: Details of HM Treasury staffing, recruitments and redundancies in 2010-11 are published in its Annual Report and Accounts (HC 984).
	The Department had the equivalent of 101 fewer full-time staff at the end of this period than at the same time the previous year. The number of recruitments during this period was equivalent to 175 full-time staff and the number of departmental staff who accepted redundancy terms was fewer than five. It is the Treasury’s policy for reasons of confidentiality not to release full details relating to numbers of staff fewer than five, where to do so might lead to the identification of individual cases.
	The Royal Mint Advisory Committee did not employ any staff in the period in question.

Departmental Official Cars

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of (a) cars leased by his Department to staff and (b) ministerial chauffeurs between (i) November 1999 and June 2001, (ii) May 2002 and June 2007 and (iii) June 2007 and January 2008.

Justine Greening: Detailed information on spending prior to 2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost due to the introduction of a new accounting system in that year. Between April 2002 and January 2008, the Treasury did not incur any spending on leasing cars to staff or on ministerial chauffeurs.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many procurement contracts his Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury does not hold information on the number of procurement contracts awarded to small businesses in this period. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	However, in 2009-10 (the most recent period for which information is available) HM Treasury's third party spend for goods and services was £117.5 million, 32% of which was procured from organisations defined as small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
	HM Treasury published its SME Action Plan on 3 June 2011, which committed to “collate and record management information that measures SME engagement in the departmental supply chains/networks” by the end of September 2011.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010.

Justine Greening: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of individuals and organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010.

Justine Greening: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Energy: Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he classifies the Energy Companies Obligation as a regulation or a levy for the purposes of assessing DECC levy-funded spending.

Justine Greening: The Energy Company Obligation, as with similar obligations, will be considered levy-funded spending if falls within the scope of measures considered by the Office for National Statistics as tax and spending for National Accounts purposes.

Energy: Prices

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in revenue received by the Exchequer as a result of the recent increases in prices by energy suppliers.

Justine Greening: holding answer 14 July 2011
	No estimate has been made. However, if extra expenditure on domestic fuel was funded by less spending on goods and services that attract the 20% standard rate of VAT, HMRC would receive less VAT revenue, since domestic fuel and power is taxed at the reduced rated rate of 5%.
	The Government are committed to addressing fuel poverty, notably by introducing the warm home discount to assist more of the most vulnerable households with their energy bills and introducing the Green Deal from 2012 so that households and businesses can improve their energy efficiency at no upfront cost, repaying through their savings on energy bills.

EU Budget

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the proposals contained in the European Commission document, Proposal for a Council decision on the system of own resources of the European Union;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the European Commission's document, Proposal for a Council regulation laying down implementing measures for the system of own resources of the European Union.

Justine Greening: The Government are opposed to the changes to the Own Resources System proposed by the European Commission.
	The Government also strongly oppose any new EU taxes to fund the EU budget and opposes the Commission's proposal in this area. The Government attach considerable importance to the principle of tax sovereignty, and believe tax policy is primarily a matter for member states to determine at a national level.
	Under article 311 of the EU treaty, a change to the way in which the EU is funded would have to be unanimously agreed by all member states and ratified by national Parliaments.
	The Commission's proposal on the Multiannual Financial Framework, including the proposals on the Own Resources System, is the first stage in an extended negotiations process. These negotiations will begin in the autumn of this year and it is too early to speculate on the outcome of these negotiations at this stage. There is no fixed period for negotiation. The eventual Multiannual Financial Framework must be agreed unanimously by all member states at Council and then approved by the European Parliament.

EU Budget

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which proposals he has discussed with his EU counterparts in respect of the raising of resources for the EU under Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.

Justine Greening: The Government have made it clear that the UK is opposed to any new EU tax to finance the EU budget.
	Under Article 311 of the EU Treaty, a change to the way in which the EU is funded would have to be unanimously agreed by all member states and ratified by national parliaments.

EU Budget

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the EU's financial framework for 2014 to 2020 to be agreed.

Justine Greening: The European Commission's proposal on the Multiannual Financial Framework, released on 29 June 2011, is the first stage in an extended negotiations process. These negotiations will begin in the autumn of this year and it is currently too early to speculate on the outcome of these negotiations as there is no fixed period for negotiation.

EU Budget: Contributions

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid from the Exchequer to (a) the EU budget and (b) each EU institution (i) gross and (ii) net of expenditure of the EU or each EU institution in the UK in (A) 2008, (B) 2009 and (C) 2010.

Justine Greening: The UK makes its contributions to the EU budget as a whole and not to the separate Institutions or programmes within it. Latest figures for the UK's gross, after taking account of the UK abatement, and net contributions in the financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11 can be found in Table C1 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (Cm 8104) of July 2011.

European Investment Bank

Steven Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the UK's liability to deliver subscribed capital to the European Investment Bank which has not yet been paid.

Justine Greening: As set out in the Consolidated Fund Accounts published in July, the current market circumstances notwithstanding, it is unlikely that member states will be called upon to pay the remaining capital.

Financial Inclusion Fund

Linda Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the likely effects of closing the Financial Inclusion Fund.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 580W, on the Financial Inclusion Fund, when he expects to announce his decision on the future funding of projects currently funded by the Financial Inclusion Fund

Mark Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund was always due to close in March 2010, with individual programmes being taken forward by individual Government Departments including the Credit Union Modernisation Fund and the continuation of funding for debt advice this financial year ahead of the Money Advice Service taking on the delivery of this from March 2012.
	The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.

Financial Markets: Food

Laura Sandys: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect of trends in financial speculation on food on the ability of (a) producers and (b) end users of foodstuffs to hedge risk.

Mark Hoban: Trading in commodity markets plays an important role in providing liquidity (the volume of trades being made in a market) in agricultural futures and options markets and that liquidity is essential to the effective functioning of these markets. Against the backdrop of climate change, and the possibility that international agricultural prices, may become more volatile over time, the role of agricultural futures and options markets, and the liquidity they rely on, become more important in allowing farmers and others involved in the supply chain to hedge the price risks they face.

Financial Services: Fees and Charges

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with the Financial Services Authority steps to ensure greater clarity in the additional costs applied to headline annual fees by financial institutions.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials meet members of the FSA on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of economic and financial issues. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of such meetings.
	The FSA's Retail Distribution Review aims to address structural problems in the distribution of retail investment products. The FSA's work includes proposals to increase clarity and transparency for consumers.

Fujitsu

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has paid to Fujitsu as part of its Public Sector Flex IT service since May 2010; and what further payments are planned.

Justine Greening: holding answer 19 July  2011
	Details of HM Treasury's contract for IT services are published in Note 23.3 of its 2010-11 Resource Accounts (HC 984).
	HM Treasury publishes all spending over £25,000 monthly on its public website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about_transparency_spend.htm

Gift Aid: Applications

Steven Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the (a) mean, (b) mode and (c) maximum period taken by HM Revenue and Customs to process a gift aid application for a new charity was in the fiscal year 2010-11;
	(2)  what steps HM Revenue and Customs takes to expedite the approval of gift aid applications from new charities; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: In 2010-11, HMRC processed 79% of applications within the target of 30 days. The maximum period for processing an application in 2010-11 was eight weeks. The information requested on mean and mode periods could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	HMRC recently introduced a new intelligent form to help make it easier to apply for recognition as a charity for UK tax purposes, and is developing a new system which will enable charities to complete applications online from 2012-13.

Government Procurement Card

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) staff and (b) special advisers in his Department have a Government Procurement Card.

Justine Greening: There are 121 Government Procurement Cards issued to Treasury staff. None are held by special advisers.

Green Investment Bank

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider issuing green gilts for the purposes of providing finance for the Green Investment Bank.

Justine Greening: As set out in Budget 2011 the Government will enable the Green Investment Bank to have borrowing powers from 2015-16 and once the target for debt to be failing as percentage of GDP has been met.
	The update on the Green Investment Bank published in May this year identified a range of potential borrowing options for the GIB which the Government will be assessing in due course.

Inflation

Laura Sandys: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department work on the impact on inflation of (a) food prices and (b) energy prices.

Mark Hoban: A range of HM Treasury officials, together with colleagues in other parts of Government, work on these issues as part of their wider roles.

International Monetary Fund

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  by what percentage Britain's International Monetary Fund (IMF) subscription will change as a result of the quota changes agreed by the IMF in November 2010;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the size of the UK's contribution to the International Monetary Fund compared to that of India;
	(3)  what comparative assessment he has made of the rate of increase of the UK's subscription to the International Monetary Fund agreed in November 2010 compared to that of (a) Germany, (b) Belgium and (c) Saudi Arabia;
	(4)  when his Department expects to pay the UK's increased subscription to the International Monetary Fund;
	(5)  how much of the increase in the Foreign Exchange Reserve will be allocated to International Monetary Fund programmes;
	(6)  for what reasons Britain's contribution quota to the International Monetary Fund has remained the same as that of France.

Mark Hoban: Each member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is assigned a quota allocation that broadly reflects its relative size in the global economy based on a formula. The UK's current quota share is SDR 10,739 million (£10,581 million based on the sterling-SDR exchange rate on the 31 March 2011), which represents a 4.52% share.
	This represents the potential amount of financing from the UK that the IMF could call on via quota subscription, not an upfront financing commitment.
	In December-2010 the IMF's Governors approved an increase in the total quota by 100% from approximately SDR 238.4 billion to approximately SDR 476.8 billion, following an agreement by world leaders at the Seoul G-20 summit. These reforms will enable the fund to meet its resource needs over the medium term, preserve the IMF's status as a quota-based institution and deliver greater quota representation to the dynamic emerging and developing countries.
	The UK's total quota share will increase by SDR 9,417 million (£9,278 million) to SDR 20,155 million (£19,858 million).
	The values of all individual member countries' current shareholdings and the forthcoming shifts as a result of the 2010 reforms are available at on the IMF's website at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.aspx
	The increase in the UK's subscription to the IMF will only be implemented once the overall quota increase has been approved by member countries accounting for 70% of total quotas (as of November 5, 2010) and once member countries accounting for 85% of the existing quota share have ratified the other amendments to the Articles of Agreement on the reform of the IMF's Executive Board which were also agreed in November 2010. Consistent with the UK's legislative guidelines, the Government have taken steps to domestically ratify this commitment by laying legislation in Parliament on the 13 June 2011. This process is also being undertaken by other IMF member countries. The G-20 countries have committed to completing the reforms by the Annual Meetings in October 2012.
	All UK loans to the IMF are financed from the UK's Official Reserves. They remain UK assets and therefore do not count as public spending, and do not contribute to public sector net debt.
	The 2011 Budget provided an additional £6 billion of sterling financing to purchase reserve assets. This will ensure the level of foreign currency reserves held is sufficient whilst meeting potential calls from the International Monetary Fund. Once the quota reforms are completed, members are initially required to deposit 25% of their quota at the fund in reserve assets. Aside from this, the amount of financing that the UK provides to the IMF will depend on the number, size and timing of IMF lending programmes and also, at a technical level, on exactly how the IMF chooses to manage the financing of these programmes.
	The UK has had a long standing bilateral agreement with France to equalise their shares in the IMF. This has been mutually beneficial, and the UK and France have worked closely together to secure a number of policy objectives, for example reforming the IMF's role in low income countries.

International Monetary Fund

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many gilts 
	(1)  he expects to borrow between July 2011 and 2014-15; and what proportion of these relate to the UK's International Monetary Fund commitments;
	(2)  have been borrowed for the purposes of increasing the Foreign Exchange Reserve since May 2010; and what proportion of these relate to the UK's International Monetary Fund commitments.

Mark Hoban: The Government do not project gilt sales beyond 2011-12. The Government publish projections for their net financing requirement, including projected financing for the official reserves, from 2012-13 to 2015-16, in Table 2A of the Debt and Reserves Management Report 2011-12
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_debtreserves.htm
	All commitments to the IMF are financed from the UK’s Official Reserves—either through sale of existing foreign exchange assets or from additional sterling financing through selling gilts. The Government envisage sterling financing for the Official Reserves being held on average at £6 billion a year up to and including 2014- 15. This will ensure the level of foreign currency reserves held is sufficient while meeting potential calls from the International Monetary Fund.
	The UK’s IMF quota subscription does not represent an upfront financing commitment, rather is a potential amount of financing that the IMF could call on via quota subscriptions if needed.

Landfill Tax

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects on revenue from landfill tax of incinerators becoming operational in the next five years.

Justine Greening: Landfill tax forecasts are calculated using a number of waste data sources and take in to account alternative waste management treatment capacity, including incineration.
	Recent OBR forecasts for UK tax receipts can be found in Table C3: Current receipts.
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_complete.pdf

Loans: Greece

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the UK's contribution to the IMF has been allocated for financial assistance to Greece.

Mark Hoban: When a country has a programme with the IMF, the UK does not lend money to that country directly. The UK lends to the IMF, and the IMF then lends money to countries with IMF programmes.
	Details of the UK's relationship with the Fund, including our latest financial position, can be found at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/country/GBR/index.htm
	Details of the IMF's relationship with Greece can be found at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/country/GRC/index.htm

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to Question 57980, tabled by the hon. Member for Isle of Wight on 24 May 2011 on correspondence.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 19W.

Minimum Wage

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have been employed in HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage enforcement team in each year since 2005.

David Gauke: The number of staff employed in HMRC National Minimum Wage enforcement teams in the years requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 At April Staff in post 
			 2005 114 
			 2006 110 
			 2007 109 
			 2008 122 
			 2009 125 
			 2010 129 
			 2011 122

National Insurance Contributions

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of (a) employer and (b) employee national insurance contributions in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

David Gauke: A breakdown of UK national insurance contribution receipts is given in the following table.
	
		
			 £ billion 
			  Class 1 employee contributions Class 1 employer contributions 
			 2008-09 38.0 55.7 
			 2009-10 37.9 54.7 
			 2010-11 38.2 55.6

New Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many value added tax registrations there were in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) ward in England in each deprivation decile in each year since 2005.

David Gauke: The number of value added tax registrations by parliamentary constituency can be found in the report ‘Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations’, published by the Department for Businesses Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in November 2008. This report was discontinued in 2008, and so registration figures are only available up to 2007.
	Information is not readily available on value added tax registrations by deprivation decile at parliamentary constituency or ward level and could be estimated only at disproportionate cost.

Northern Rock

Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been repaid to the public purse by each bank that has been lent money from the public purse since the collapse of Northern Rock.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 18 March 2011
	During the financial crisis the previous Government oversaw a number of different interventions in the UK financial sector. Full details of financial support provided to UK banks are published by HM Treasury on a financial year basis in the HM Treasury Resource and Accounts. Some of these interventions took the form of loans. This included the Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS), the Special Liquidity Scheme (SLS) (operated by the Bank of England), the transfer to public ownership of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley and loans to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which allowed the transfer of deposits or pay out of compensation to depositors in the five banks that went into default in the autumn of 2008.
	The overall amount of wholesale lending guaranteed under the CGS peaked at just under £140 billion in May 2009. The most recent published outstanding figure was £115 billion as of December 2010. HM Treasury does not report on individual usage of the scheme.
	The Bank of England reported that exposure through the SLS peaked at £185 billion when the SLS drawdown window came to an end in January 2009. As at December 2010 the outstanding exposure was £110 billion following repayments totalling £75 billion.
	At 31 March 2010 Northern Rock (Asset Management) had repaid £248 million, the outstanding loan balance stood at £23.0 billion.
	HM Treasury made loans to the FSCS and as part of the HM Treasury top-up to fund the transfer of deposits or compensation payments to depositors in the five banks that went into default in autumn 2008.
	At 31 March 2010 £1.2 billion had been repaid through the administration of Kaupthing, Singer & Friedlander (KSF). The outstanding loan balance in respect of KSF was £163 million under the HM Treasury liability and £1.8 billion under the FSCS liability. At 31 March 2010 £194 million had been repaid through the administration of Heritable. The outstanding loan balance in respect of Heritable was £40.5 million under the HM Treasury liability and £307.4 million in respect of the FSCS liability.
	Further detail on the loans and other Government interventions can be found in the HM Treasury Resource Accounts 2009-10 available on the HM Treasury website. HM Treasury Resource Accounts for 2010-11 will be published in due course.

Occupational Pensions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he holds on the average employer contribution rate to pensions in (a) the private and (b) the public sector in the latest period for which figures are available.

Danny Alexander: The interim report of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission (IPSPC) estimated that of the 19 million private sector employees, there are 2.6 million active members of private sector defined benefit schemes, 1 million members of defined contribution pension schemes and 3 million individuals who are covered by employer sponsored group personal pensions or stakeholder pensions. Chart 1F of the interim report shows that around two thirds of private sector employees, or around 12 million individuals, have no employer sponsored pension provision.
	The IPSPC estimate that the average employer contribution to an open defined benefit scheme in the private sector is 14.9% of pay and the average employer contribution to an open defined contribution scheme in the private is 6.4% of pay.
	Employers are not currently required to contribute to group personal pensions or stakeholder pension schemes, though many choose to do so. HM Treasury does not hold information on average contribution rates to these schemes. From October 2012 employers will have a new duty to automatically enrol qualifying employees into a workplace pension scheme, and to make mandatory contributions.
	There are 5.4 million active members in defined benefit public service pension schemes and the average employer contribution rate to these schemes is just over 15% of pay. Employer contribution levels vary from scheme to scheme and further details of contribution levels are available in Table 3.G in the final report of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission.

Occupational Pensions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information he holds on the average occupational pension paid to those who have worked in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will estimate the average occupational pension paid to those who have worked in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector in the latest period for which figures are available.

Danny Alexander: The national median income across occupational pensions, provided by the employer, and private pensions, arranged by the individual, in both the public and private sectors, is around £3,900 a year, and the mean income is around £6,300(1).
	The Independent Public Service Pensions Commission found that the median public service pension in payment to retired public servants is £5,600 a year and the mean £7,800 a year. The commission noted that this figure reflects the fact that many public service pensioners may have had short or interrupted careers in public service and full career pensions might be larger than this.
	HM Treasury does not hold information on the average pension received by workers in the private sector. The average pension income for private sector workers will be below the national average pension income because public service pensions are higher as shown in the figures above.
	(1 )Based on estimates in the Pensioners' Income Series produced by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Patents

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's Patent Box Consultation, what estimate he has made of the cost of moving from cut-off date to phase-in commencement provisions.

David Gauke: We expect that the move from cut-off date to phase-in commencement provisions will be achievable within the cost estimate for the Patent Box released at Budget. Final costings will be subject to Office of Budget Responsibility scrutiny and the outcome of the consultation.

Presbyterian Mutual Society

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive a report from the Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board on the conduct of the auditors involved with the Presbyterian Mutual Society.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board (AADB) is an independent disciplinary body and does not submit reports on the outcome of its investigations to Ministers.

Public Sector: Pensions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many serving public sector employees are expected to retire with pensions with an annual monetary value of more than (a) £30,000, (b) £50,000, (c) £100,000 and (d) £142,500.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury does not hold this data. This information may be available from Departments that lead on individual public service pension schemes.
	Table 1.C of the interim report of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission provides an estimate of the number of pensioners in the main public service schemes receiving at least £37,000 and at least £67,000 on a scheme by scheme basis. The table can be found on the HM Treasury webpage at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/hutton_pensionsinterim_071010.pdf
	The total number of retired public sector workers receiving pensions in payment is summarised as follows:
	At least £37,000—34,252
	At least £67,000—2,960.

Public Sector: Pensions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public sector workers have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of greater than £1 million.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury is not responsible for the calculation of Cash Equivalent Transfer Values for individual public sector workers; it would be for individual Departments to produce this information on request from the individual.
	In written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee HM Treasury presented, for the committee to consider, a list of individuals in central Departments with CETVs approaching £2 million as of 31 March 2010.
	This is available from the House Library and online:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmpubacc/833/833we02.htm
	Individual employers' Remuneration Reports (contained within Departmental Resource Accounts) include details of the pension benefits and Cash Equivalent Transfer Values (CETVs) for each of the members of the Department's senior management team. These are available online on an employer by employer basis, but are not collated centrally.

Public Sector: Pensions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the potential saving to the public purse from increases to the contribution rates for public sector pensions during the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Danny Alexander: Estimates of the savings to the Exchequer from the proposed increases to employee contribution rates for public service pensions are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimated annual savings (£ million) 
			 2011-12 0 
			 2012-13 1,160 
			 2013-14 2,270 
			 2014-15 2,760 
			 2015-16 2,850 
		
	
	Savings presented in Table 2.2 of Budget 2011 represented additional savings generated on top if the previous Government’s cap and share reforms.

Revenue and Customs

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what 
	(1)  criteria he plans to use to recruit members of the Board of HM Revenue and Customs;
	(2)  his policy is on the number of members of the Board of HM Revenue and Customs who should be trained tax inspectors.

David Gauke: HM Revenue & Customs follow the Ministerial Code and Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles when recruiting new board members. All appointments follow the principle of selection based on merit and the use of an open and transparent recruitment process.
	Board members must demonstrate that they are committed to, and have an understanding of, the value and importance of the Seven Principles of Public Life. They must also disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest. Any potential issues have to be discussed with the individual to establish whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict, taking account of advice received from the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics team as appropriate.
	The Board of HMRC comprises of Mike Clasper as non-executive chairman, Lesley Strathie as chief executive and principal accounting officer, members of HMRC's executive committee and non-executive directors. The board is accountable for developing and approving HMRC's overall strategy and final business plans and also performs an assurance role and advises on best practice. HMRC has not set a requirement as to how many of the board should be tax professionally trained as the entire board is supported by tax professionals operating at all levels in the organisation.

Revenue and Customs: Aviation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on flights within England in 2010-11.

David Gauke: HMRC spent £336,992 on flights within United Kingdom 2010-11 via their contracted travel management company, Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Where HMRC staff purchased their own tickets and claimed back the cost incurred via an expense claim, the information is not available. The data on HMRC systems are not held in a way as to disaggregate flights within England from other UK flights.
	HMRC is committed to reducing travel costs and the impact of its business on the environment. Staff are encouraged to consider alternatives to travel such as voice and video conferencing. Where travel is necessary, staff are asked to consider the full cost of their journey and to use public transport. However, it is recognised that there are occasions where some routes with budget airlines are often cheaper when compared to rail tickets purchased at short notice.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of engaging an external body to establish a set of standards against which HM Revenue and Customs can be held accountable.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs is a non-ministerial department whose powers are defined in law and are subject to parliamentary and Select Committee scrutiny. The chief executive is accountable to the head of the home civil service for delivery of actions required following HMRC's Capability Review. HMRC's Charter sets out clearly what customers can expect from the department and HMRC's service standards are published in its business plan.

Royal Reserve Fund

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to his contribution of 14 July 2011, Official Report, columns 531-43, on the Sovereign Grant Bill, what the amount was of the Royal Reserve Fund in each year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much the Royal Family has received in (a) travel grant and (b) palace grant in each of the last 10 years.

Justine Greening: Information on the Civil List Reserve and the grants in aid for Royal Travel and Maintenance of the Royal Palaces, are published in the Report of the Royal Trustees printed on 4 July 2000 (HC 644); the Report of the Royal Trustees printed on 22 June 2010 (HC 140); and the Royal Public Finances Annual Report 2010-11 printed on 4 July 2011. The Royal Trustees Reports are laid in the House Library, and the annual report is available online at:
	www.royal.gov.uk
	and in print from the Deputy Treasurer to The Queen, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA.

Rural Areas

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether officials of his Department have had recent discussions with the Rural Communities Policy Unit in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Justine Greening: Treasury officials have regular meetings with officials across the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such meetings.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of HM Revenue and Customs have been assigned to the prevention of benefit fraud in each year since 2007.

David Gauke: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff deployed on both tax credit and child benefit compliance activity, which includes all aspects of compliance including fraud, is in the following table.
	
		
			 Date at April Number of staff (FTE) 
			 2011 1,600 
			 2010 1,377 
			 2009 1,475 
			 2008 1,365 
			 2007 1,405

Tax Avoidance

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many criminal prosecutions HM Revenue and Customs has brought for tax avoidance and evasion in each of the last five years; and what target has been set for such prosecutions in the period from 2011 to 2015.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hesitate to use its criminal investigation powers to pursue a prosecution. However, cost-effective civil settlement procedures are used in the majority of tax avoidance and evasion cases. This represents excellent value for the Exchequer, as all undeclared tax is repaid and defaulters also pay a penalty, which can be up to 100% of the tax evaded, plus interest on the undeclared tax. Every year we collect millions of pounds of evaded tax using these well-established methods.
	Where cases do proceed to the criminal courts the prosecution is carried out by the relevant independent prosecuting authority. The Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland, and the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland.
	Details of the total number of cases prosecuted for income tax, corporation tax, VAT, excise and other tax offences are set out in the following table. These include prosecutions relating both to organised criminal attacks and lower level frauds.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2006-07 389 
			 2007-08 416 
			 2008-09 340 
			 2009-10 237 
			 2010-11 385 
		
	
	HMRC does not set targets for the number of prosecutions achieved in each year. But as part of the reinvestment package announced in the 2010 spending review HMRC will be expected to deliver a significant year on year increase both in criminal investigations and, working in partnership with the independent prosecuting authorities, prosecutions related to lower level tax evasion and fraud.

Tax Avoidance

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of HM Revenue and Customs 
	(1)  at each grade are assigned to its team of investigators to identify persons hiding money offshore;
	(2)  have been assigned to investigation of those hiding money offshore in each year since 2007.

David Gauke: Staff are employed on offshore work in a number of different ways and the exact level of resource (i.e. the proportion of time spent on offshore work) cannot be meaningfully presented from readily available data held by the various directorates of HMRC. Going forward, the Government Spending Review Report made reference to the need for a dedicated team to address the problem of tax evasion facilitated by the use of offshore financial centres. HMRC has responded to the ministerial announcement by recruiting 25 investigators to a new offshore evasion team, to be in post by the autumn, increasing to 100 by 2015. The Offshore Co-ordination Unit will provide oversight to the activities undertaken throughout the Department dedicated to tackling offshore avoidance and evasion.

Taxation

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to (a) simplify the tax system and (b) reduce regulatory burdens on small and medium-sized businesses.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to simplifying the tax system and reducing burdens of regulation on small business.
	Already this Government have: established the Office of Tax Simplification; announced the intention to abolish 43 tax reliefs, following a review by the OTS and; asked the OTS to take forward its review of small business taxation, alongside new reviews of pensioner taxation and approved employee share schemes.
	To tackle regulation this Government have: introduced one-in one-out so that no new regulatory costs are brought in without offsetting deregulation and introduced a moratorium exempting micro and start-up businesses from new domestic regulation from April 2011 to April 2014.

Taxation

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of merging income tax and employee national insurance contributions.

David Gauke: At Budget 2011 the Chancellor announced that the Government would consult on the operational merger of income tax and National Insurance. As part of this process, a “call for evidence” was launched on the 11 July. A link to the document is provided as follows.
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/tax_income_nics.htm
	The Government will publish a consultation document on options for reform in the autumn, once all responses to the call for evidence have been received. Once the full consultation has completed, and the policy design is final or near final, the Government will publish a full assessment of the impacts in a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN).

Taxation: Business

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average length of time was between the submission of a P35 and the refunding of any tax overpaid in each of the last five years; and what the average amount of tax repaid to each employer was where a refund was made.

David Gauke: This information is not available and could be achieved only at a disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Steven Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the level of green taxes levied on (a) businesses, (b) households and (c) individuals.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury receives numerous representations from businesses, households and individuals, expressing a range of views on green taxes.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Marcus Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the carbon floor price on the British coal industry.

Justine Greening: The carbon price floor will drive £30-40 billion of new investment in low-carbon generation by 2030.
	An assessment of the impacts of the carbon price floor, including on industry, is given in HMRC's Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the Budget. This is available online at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6111.pdf

Taxation: Foreign Workers

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has assessed the potential effect on income tax revenue of offshoring of work by private companies holding public sector contracts in the next five years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on income tax revenue of Hewlett Packard's application to offshore elements of the Adams 2 contract.

David Gauke: Neither HM Treasury nor HM Revenue and Customs hold the detailed information required to provide a reliable estimate of the effect on income tax revenues of offshoring of work by private companies holding public sector contracts.

Taxation: Overpayments

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason HM Revenue and Customs has reduced to four years the period in respect of which persons may reclaim overpayment of tax.

David Gauke: The Finance Act 2008 reduced the relevant time limit for claims and assessments from six years to four years as part of a wider alignment of time limits across all the taxes which aimed to simplify the system and reduce customer burdens. This was part of the work of HMRC's Review of Powers, deterrents and safeguards intended to modernise and align the various powers of ex-Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of 2010-11 tax returns that have been lost.

David Gauke: Information on the number of tax returns is not recorded centrally.
	HMRC have a rigorous system in place including tracking measures in order to minimise the risk of losses.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was first informed of the decision by the Secretary of State for Transport to award the preferred bidder status for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project to Siemens.

Danny Alexander: I was informed of the Secretary of State for Transport's decision to award preferred bidder status for the Thameslink Rolling Stock procurement to Siemens on 18 May.

Unpaid Taxes

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate HM Revenue and Customs made of the revenue lost to the Exchequer from written-off or remitted tax debt in 2010-11.

David Gauke: The amount of revenue remitted or written-off in 2010-11 by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is set out in Table 9.2 on page 152 of HMRCs 2010-11 Annual Accounts.
	These are available at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/annual-report-accounts-1011.pdf

VAT: EU Budget

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on proposals to increase the proportion of VAT receipts allocated to the EU budget.

Justine Greening: The UK currently does not pay any of its VAT receipts to the EU. VAT-based contributions to the EU budget are calculated on the basis of a notional harmonised rate, using an identical range of goods and services in each member state.
	The UK does not support the Commission's proposed revision of the VAT-based resource.
	Negotiations on the proposal have yet to start but under article 311 of the EU treaty, a change to the way in which the EU is funded would have to be unanimously agreed by all member states and ratified by national Parliaments.

VAT: Football

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with (a) Sport England, (b) the Football Association and (c) the Fitness Industry Association on the proposed change in VAT status for five-a-side league football;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on the proposed change in the taxation status of five-a-side football from supply of land to providing a league service and the associated change in VAT status; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has made an assessment of the effects of the proposed change in VAT status for five-a-side league football on levels of participation in five-a-side football (a) nationally, (b) in the West Midlands and (c) in Dudley borough.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie) on 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 512W.

VAT: Housing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the merits of setting a reduced rate of value added tax for all domestic repair, maintenance and improvement projects that include sufficient energy efficiency improvements.

David Gauke: We keep the merits of applying a reduced rate of VAT to all domestic repairs, maintenance and improvement projects under review; including the significant costs and practical difficulties in applying such a relief.
	The Green Deal, a DECC led initiative, has been designed to help make energy efficient technology more affordable. The Green Deal will enable households and businesses to improve their energy efficiency at no upfront cost repaying the investment through the savings they can expect to make on their energy bills.

VAT: Sports

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effects of removing VAT from sporting and physical activity provision on levels of (a) participation and (b) public health; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: No assessment has been made.

VAT: Tax Rates and Bands

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on the potential effects on the economy of an increase in the rate of VAT.

David Gauke: The Chancellor's, tax proposals, and forecasts of their effects on the economy, are set out in the Budget documentation.

Vulture Funds

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his (a) US and (b) French counterparts on steps to prevent vulture funds from those countries from suing for excessive claims in courts outside UK jurisdiction.

David Gauke: The Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 was made permanent on 25 May 2011.
	The UK has shared information regarding this Act with the Paris Club, which includes the US and France. The UK will continue to share its experience of addressing non-participation in debt relief with all members of the Paris Club.

Welfare Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax credit expenditure was spent on (a) working and (b) non-working people in each year since the introduction of tax credits; to what tax credits this expenditure related; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The latest information on entitlement to tax credits for in-work and out-of-work families is available in table 1.1 of the annual HMRC publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised Annual Awards 2009-10”. This can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-final-awards-may11.pdf